In modern practice, the four-string bass has become the standard. For a long time, however, both three- and four-string instruments coexisted.

Supporters of the three-string bass argued that fewer strings reduced downward pressure on the instrument’s top plate, potentially improving resonance and acoustic response. Advocates of the four-string bass, on the other hand, emphasized the importance of expanding the instrument’s lower register by adding the low E string.

Because the bass continued to function primarily as a reinforcement of the cello’s lower octave in orchestral music—and because composers increasingly demanded deeper bass notes—the four-string instrument gradually became dominant. Over time, the three-string bass largely disappeared from mainstream practice.