It bothered Eric that 50% of the quartet would be tied up with the guitar doubling the bass line while playing tunes like Jimi Hendrix's "Manic Depression".
In 1967, Eric and business partner Steve Wittels brought it to Sid Hack of Univox, the company that imported Hagström guitars.
Guitarist Jimi Hendrix also played 8-string bass on tracks from his Electric Ladyland album, namely "Crosstown Traffic" and "1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)".
Bassists who at some time have utilised the eight-string bass include Abraham Laboriel, Mark Egan, Nick Lowe, Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam, Paulo Pinto of Sepultura, John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin, John Entwistle of The Who, Mike Rutherford of Genesis, Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Gary Shea of Alcatrazz, Bent Sæther of Motorpsycho, Thom Bone of Butt Trumpet, Dennis McGarry of It's OK!
(band), Lemmy of Motörhead, Yoshihiro Naruse of Casiopea, Baron Blood of Necromantia, Brandon Curtis of The Secret Machines, Ian Hill of Judas Priest, and Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick.