RICKENBACKER Al Cisneros 4003 AC

Sleep and OM bassist Al Cisneros is the latest of a very short list of bassists to get his own signature Rickenbacker. Do we want to review it, they asked? Not only does the Editor say yes, he doesn’t want to give it back afterwards...

- Rickenbacker

If you’re not familiar with the work of Al Cisneros, bassist with the stoner-rock band Sleep and the experimental act OM, we recommend that you head to YouTube without delay. If you’re not into heavy music, don’t let that put you off; bassists of all musical preferences will learn from his unique approach to the instrument. Formed primarily of droned figures and chords, played with a heavy fingerstyle anchored close to (or actually on) the neck, Cisneros’ method refers back to pioneers such as Geezer Butler while also being wholly his own.

We mention this because Cisneros’ new Rickenbacker 4003 is designed to fulfil the particular needs of his playing style. For example, had he been a pick player, attacking the strings down by the bridge, the massive bezels which cover the pickups would not have been included. As he plucks the strings by the neck, they’re present and correct. In addition, so much of Cisneros’ music is thematically or otherwise related to smoking weed that the neck inlays are green, and only 420 models are being made (4/20, get it?). Whether or not you personally ingest the stuff, you have to agree that it makes for a fascinating art direction.

So how does it play? And does it justify its immense price tag? Let’s plugin and find out...

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