The Acacia Fan Club...

[ModulusAcacia]

Ok so this morning I had most of my basses on the ground floor of the house and decided to take a few quick pics and start this tribute thread to my friend, mentor, and one heck of a forward thinking luthier Matt Friedman. While he's not building any more, I'm happy so say that I own a LOAD of his basses, several of the highest level of lutherie I've ever seen. I have 6 fully function Acacias, and two other ones that are in various states of disrepair. Ok, so here's a pic then a brief description of each....



From left to right:
-4-string fretless custom with lane poors and an Aguilar OBP-3, rosewood t/b, padouk core, wenge/padouk/rosewood neck. This bass was started by Matt and finished by me with Matt performing the final fingerboard leveling and nut install in '03. One of the last basses Matt worked on.

-5-string Padouk Custom T/B mahogany core, wenge/padouk/mahogany neck, Bartolinis with a U-retro pre-amp. Built in '94 with electronics and tuner upgrades done by me this year.



-5-string Custom Burled Redwood T/B, Fanned frets (34"-35") with mahogany core, wenge/ebony/mahogany neck with Snakewood fingerboard. Carved Brazilian Rosewood bridge, Bart MM + soapbar PUs, with a U-retro pre-amp. The bass also has a custom hipshot D-tuner on the E string and and standard D-tuner on the B-string.

-5-string Custom Burled birdseye pink ivory topped/ AAAA quilted maple back, Fanned frets (34"-35") with Flamed Pink ivory block inlays angled to match the fanning, Jatoba/purpleheart/maple neck, mahogany core, Aero PUs cased in pink ivory (covers are book matched to each other!), Audere 4-band pre-amp, custom hipshot D-tuner on the E string and and standard D-tuner on the B-string. It also has a Pink ivory bridge and a pink ivory truss rod cover/ramp. the section between the pickups is also raised to the height of the pickups al a a willis ramp. Signed by Les claypool on the back of the headstock, Stanley Clarke on the front. On top of all that there is a flamed pink ivory and ebony smiley face inlaid into the back of the bass (see my avatar for a pic). This bass was featured on the first page of the bass section of the 2001-2002 miller/freeman guitar and bass buyers guide. This is the bass that will be pried out of my cold dead hands



-10-string Custom, tulip wood top/Padouk back, zebrawood core, wenge/koa/purpleheart neck, quad coil bart PUs, Lane Poor 2x1 Pre-amp, custom made tulipwood bridge with bridge tuning gears for the octave strings. this is a freight train of a bass!

-4-string GLB/Gruv Bass, dropped top Quilted maple top, Ash back. Wenge/purpleheart/bubinga neck, and the Mecca of no longer produced hardware: Lane Poor Jazz pick ups, and a 2-tek bridge. Within the next week it'll have a LP 1x1 pre-amp installed as well

Also in the collection, but not pictured, are the single GRUV 3-string with a wenge/padouk neck and ash body (tuned BEA) and a 4-string Custom with macassar ebony T/B.

So now everybody else show your Acacias!

[lbpark]

What an incredible collection. I'm very jealous of each and every one of those basses. I'd still be using mine live if the preamp wasn't dead. Here she is...

(only pic I could find w/ the Acacia in it)

[J.Wolf]

sweet thread!! I'm in, gimme a #!

Here's my two old basses that I kick myself for selling almost daily.

I have more pics if anyone wants to see more-

[Calvan]

what are the screws in that last pic for if there is no removable plate? how do you get inside that thing????

[ModulusAcacia]

We'll call lbpark #2 and Jake #3. I still wish I'd have had the cash when you sold that fretless. If it ever pops up again I call dibs 5stringdan has your old six now, I'm just too wimpy and my fingers are too stubby for a 6

[J.Wolf]

Originally Posted by Calvan

what are the screws in that last pic for if there is no removable plate? how do you get inside that thing????

oh but it does... I guess thats a testament to Matts woodworking skills!

[J.Wolf]

Originally Posted by ModulusAcacia

We'll call lbpark #2 and Jake #3. I still wish I'd have had the cash when you sold that fretless. If it ever pops up again I call dibs 5stringdan has your old six now, I'm just too wimpy and my fingers are too stubby for a 6

Yeah that fretless was the heat. I sold it to a guy in England, and that was the last I heard/saw of it. Wish I still had his contact info, I wonder if he ever put a new pre in it? the RMC pre was not the greatest.

[Halftooth]

I've owned 4 in the past and currently have two that need to be finished (courtesy of Mr. ModulusAcacia).

I've yet to start the either of the two project basses...one is a 7 string that is pretty close to being done, and the 5 is some ways off. I should have them done by the new year hopefully if everything works financially.

[lbpark]

Originally Posted by Calvan

what are the screws in that last pic for if there is no removable plate? how do you get inside that thing????

haha, I've actually heard that from someone else about mine. That's how good these basses are.

[spade2you]

Was he one of the first to use fanned frets?

[J.Wolf]

Originally Posted by spade2you

Was he one of the first to use fanned frets?

I dunno, but I'm pretty sure he was doing it back in 97 or 98. My old sixer was made in 01 and I think ModulusAcacia's pink Ivory 5 (the inspiration for my burl 6) was made around 2000. I really liked the updated body shape he started doing towards the end. Subtly different but a nice 'progression' from the original shape.

By the way I thought that ten string was Olive wood, not tulip wood? Am I mistaken? Maybe I'm thinking of another ten I played at Matts shop, but it looks like olive in the pic too. That bass smelled really good!

[fivestringdan]

Wonderful idea Justin!! Count me in and I'll post a family pic later tonight.

Ibpark, that east pre has the old connectors. Really thin plastic stuff? I had one die because of a tear in one of the leads. John charged me like $20 or something to change the leads to the stronger type they use now.

I really hope Brian Barrett puts a word in. I would have not had an oppertunity to purchase one of these basses without him.

[fivestringdan]

sorry for the poor quality pics. I'll take some more when I get to NYC. still packing!

[J.Wolf]

nice Dan! Thats a sweet collection there. Do the redwood, maple and lacewood all have U retro's? I'd love to hear those Aero K pickups in the six with an Audere preamp.

[ModulusAcacia]

Originally Posted by wolfbass1025

I dunno, but I'm pretty sure he was doing it back in 97 or 98. My old sixer was made in 01 and I think ModulusAcacia's pink Ivory 5 (the inspiration for my burl 6) was made around 2000. I really liked the updated body shape he started doing towards the end. Subtly different but a nice 'progression' from the original shape.

Matt wasn't the first, but definitely had a different take on the fanned fret concept then everybody else had. While Novax and dingwall were stretching B-strings to new lengths, Matt's concept was far more practical and ergonomic. Both my fanned basses are only slightly fanned, the perpendicular fret is the 5th (novax/Dingwall are usually the 7th) and it gives the angle of the fret perfect angle to match the curve of your left hand while playing low, and a pretty close match up high too. The subtle 35 on the B to 34 on the G was the best of everything I liked. The taught B of the moduluses (moduli?) I had been using, with the nice spring of a fender's G.

I know my redwood bass, Formerly Brian Barrett's, and another Fanned 5er for him were ordered in late '99. The order for my pink ivory bass went in in Feb. of 2000. I remember playing the first Emotion 5 at the Luthier's access group's both in 1994 and I believe one of the options in his literature then was for novax fanned frets, but don't hold me to that. I also concur on the subtle body shape change being nice. The upper horn extended just a little further up over the 12th fret made a huge difference in balance, and the more off-set jazzish body makes the later ones the feel and look like the Lamborghini of bass.

Originally Posted by wolfbass1025

By the way I thought that ten string was Olive wood, not tulip wood? Am I mistaken? Maybe I'm thinking of another ten I played at Matts shop, but it looks like olive in the pic too. That bass smelled really good!

The 10 is tulipwood, the olive wood bass was matt's personal fretless that he was (is) building for himself. The last time I talked to him about it it was being completed slowly (emphasis on slowly) but should be pretty insane when completed. I remember the olive wood top, snakewood board, and Aero soap/MM pick ups and I donated a Lane Poor 2x1 pre to the cause if he wanted to use it.

And Dan, you've got far too many fretless 5's... you should really let one go (as long as it's to me )

[fivestringdan]

Originally Posted by wolfbass1025

nice Dan! Thats a sweet collection there. Do the redwood, maple and lacewood all have U retro's? I'd love to hear those Aero K pickups in the six with an Audere preamp.

The Sapele bass has aeros and u-retro, your old 6 is custom barts and retro. lacewood is passive.

[J.Wolf]

I didn't realize you swapped out the Aero K's for Barts. Did they fit under the covers easily, or did it require some work?

[fivestringdan]

no covers, just the bart standard plastic covers

[ModulusAcacia]

Originally Posted by fivestringdan

I really hope Brian Barrett puts a word in. I would have not had an oppertunity to purchase one of these basses without him.

I bet he'll pop in here at some point. Dan's purple heart topped 5 that Brian had in his shop is the reason why I'm up to my ass in debt! That bass is what made me sell off my modulus stuff and send Matt a ton of cash.

[fivestringdan]

Originally Posted by ModulusAcacia

I bet he'll pop in here at some point. Dan's purple heart topped 5 that Brian had in his shop is the reason why I'm up to my ass in debt! That bass is what made me sell off my modulus stuff and send Matt a ton of cash.

Yeah, that bass is still #1. It's going to need a fret job in a year or so. I have played them almost down to the wood.!