The Washburn N4 is more than just a guitar; it’s a symbol of innovation and artistry in the world of electric guitars. Designed in collaboration with legendary guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, this instrument has become synonymous with his unique playing style and musical prowess. Let’s delve into the story behind the Washburn N4 and explore why it continues to captivate guitarists and fans alike.
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Washburn – Quality Fretted Instruments Since 1883
Washburn Image courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org
Washburn is a musical instrument manufacturing company founded by George Washburn Lyon in 1883 in Chicago, Illinois, where they make…
- Electric, Acoustic & Bass Guitars
- Banjos
- Mandolins
- Ukuleles etc
Washburn has long been a brand cherished by the top recording artist to the local musician.
The company’s manufacturing and culture have consistently combined quality construction and materials to create and deliver instruments that are top in their field, but not with the hefty price tag that goes along with the product.
The Nuno Bettencourt Washburn N4 “Authentic”
Since 1990, the Washburn N4 Authentic guitar has been with Nuno Bettencourt.
The two brands have been collaborating for over 25 years and are inseparable.
“I played Washburn initially because I got to design the exact guitar that I wanted.”
“25 years, and it’s still my perfect performance guitar – And the tone that has become a part of my DNA.”
“It’s still my go-to guitar, no question.”
Nuno Bettencourt
How Close Is This “Authentic” Signature Series To The Artist’s Axe?
Washburn claims they have duplicated every nuance of this guitar (every Dent and Ding) to capture its story.
This attention to detail means if you get your hands on this Signature Axe, you will have the closest instrument to the real thing possible, right down to the 2 replacement tuners Nuno added and the EVH D-Tuna on the Floyd Rose. (More on this later)
Nuno Bettencourt
Author SebastyneNet Image courtesy of Wikimedia and licensed under the CC BY-SA 4.0
The Portuguese-American singer-songwriter and producer, best known as the Guitar Virtuoso for the rock band EXTREME, rose to fame in the 1990s.
Nuno’s technical adeptness, playing with an acute sense of rhythm and drawing from several influences, delivered him and the band 5 CDs, selling more than 8 million records worldwide with hits like “Hole Hearted & Get the Funk Out.”
The acoustic ballad “More Than Words” went to #1 on the Billboard Top 100 charts.
The group disbanded in 1995 and reunited for new music and tours in 2007, headlining Washburn’s 125th Anniversary Party at Winter NAMM in 2008.
Highlights
Bettencourt has been an ongoing guitar force, not sitting idle throughout his career. Let’s look at some of the highlights.
Between 2009 and 2013, Nuno was onstage with Grammy Award-winning R&B artist Rihanna as her lead guitarist and musical director, doing a world tour of Europe and the US.
This found the Guitar Virtuoso a new audience and hundreds of thousands of fans to play to.
2014-2015, the Artist and his old bandmates of Extreme would commemorate the 25th anniversary of their 2nd album, which gave them their most iconic hits, Pornograffitti.
Guitar Super Group
One of the latest ventures is Generation Axe, a supergroup formed by Steve Vai in 2016 with other Guitar virtuosos…
- Joe Satriani
- Yngwie Malmsteen and
- Zakk Wylde
Generation Axe would tour…
- North America in April – May 2016
- Asia in April 2017
- The North American tour is in November – December 2018
- Asian in November 2019
Presently
June of 2023 saw the release of the latest studio album by Extreme titled “Six,” earning accolades from peers and other guitar greats. (i.e. Brian May)
The group will embark on a European tour from November – to December and follow it up with a US tour in March 2024.
Nuno In Print
The Artist was featured in the famed Guitar World Magazine in August 2023, marking the first time in over three decades (since 1992) that he graced two Guitar World Covers for that year.
Nuno On August 2023 Guitar World Cover- Image Courtesy Of Amazon-Tap Image To Get Yours.
The Nuno Bettencourt Signature Guitar
Optimized For Tone & Performance
This N4 Authentic is simply a stripped-down high-performance instrument and will appeal to several musicians from many styles, not just Nuno admirers.
More than just a signature model, the N4 Authentic is a purpose-built tone machine.
The USA Made Washburn N4 from Custom Shop
The USA-made signature guitar from the Custom Shop sports several key features, from a Solid Alderwood body, Original Floyd Rose Tremolo, HH Pickup configuration, Buzz Fieten Tuning System, Stephens Extend Cutaway, EVH D-tuna and more.
(Read on)
Body
- Body Wood – Alder (light and resonant)
- Finish – Natural oil/Matte finish; a few limited-edition models have featured lacquered bodies
- Style – A double-cut Superstrat form-factor solid body
The term Superstrat is the name of an electric guitar resembling the iconic Fender Stratocaster but with now standard features and characteristics that separate the two “Types” of guitars.
Neck
- Birdseye Maple Neck Wood – For a fast-playing
- Ebony Fingerboard Material – Making for a silky smooth feel, comfort and playability
- Number Of Frets – 22 Jumbo
- Inlays – Dots
- Nut – Locking
- Nut Width – 43 mm locking nut
- Scale Length – 25.5″
- Neck Profile – Ultra-Slim
- Neck Construction – Bolt-on
- Headstock – Reverse
Hardware
- Hardware – Chrome
- Original Floyd Rose Tremolo Bridge—This double bridge and locking nut floating tremolo system allows freedom of use without sacrificing tuning stability.
- Mismatched 18:1 Tuners Grover/Gotoh Exclusive – 4 mini Gotoh for the D, G, B and high E strings, a 1 Grover 18-1 for the A string, and a different Gotoh tuner for the low E string. (See Image)
Mixed /Mismatched Chrome Tuners – Image courtesy of washburn.com
EVH D-Tuna
The EVH D-Tuna is a bridge detuning design invented by Eddie Van Halen (EVH) for retuning the low E string instantly from an E to D and back again and is used in conjunction with the Floyd Rose Tremolo. (See Image)
EVH D-Tuna Bridge Setup on the N4 – With its own routed body channel – Image courtesy of washburn.com
Controls & Pickup Configuration
1 Volume – 3-way toggle
- The N4 controls consist of a single volume knob and a three-position pickup selector switch on the lower horn. (See Image)
Pickup configuration HH -Single volume knob and a three-position pickup selector – Image courtesy of guitarcenter.com
Pickups
- The HH Configuration of Seymour Duncan 59 Neck pickup produces a fat, warm growl, and the…
- Bill Lawrence L500XL Bridge pickup delivers brilliant treble and presence, giving you a wide tonal range.
Special Features
Buzz Feiten Tuning System
The Buss Feiten Tuning System, or Fetien Tuning, is a patented system that allows for more precise tuning than the traditional nut/saddle setup.
It corrects problems for notes played on the low 3 to 4 frets and allows for improved tuning and intonation at every point on the neck.
The Fetien System consists of a “Shelf Nut or Compensated String Nut,” where a few slots of the guitar’s nut are moved fractionally toward the bridge, and the instrument is intonated accordingly.
A guitar tech or luthier would need to receive specific training to retrofit this system.
The system was licensed to Washburn Guitars from 1995 to 2010 and is a standard feature of the N4.
Stephens Extended Cutaway
Seattle-based Luthier Stephen Davies collaborated with Nuno, designing, inventing and patenting an enhanced bolt-on neck joint that allows the Artist easier access to higher frets.
The system is called the Stephens Extended Cutaway and is licensed by Washburn.
The cutaway provides unobstructed access to the uppermost regions of the 22-fret fingerboard.
Due to its “heel-less” design, the guitarist’s hand position can always be maintained.
Front & Back Support
Both front and back joint support is needed for this design to work.
The extended cutaway designed for the instrument’s back is secured with a 5-bolt curved plate on the neck joint. (See Image)
Back of the curved 5 Bolt-on Neck Design – Author ZeGlobox Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons – The Stephens Extended Cutaway
The extra piece of wood above the neck and the body on the front of the guitar is not just for decoration.
It is there to secure and support the neck so more wood can be taken from the back of the instrument’s body.
Front of the Bolt-on Neck with support wood – Author ZeGlobox at English Wikipedia licensed under the CC BY-SA 3.0
Unfinished Preferred
The limited number of cosmetic finishes on this Signature Axe and opting out for a more “Old school” look has less to do with aesthetics and more with Sonic Quality.
Bettencourt tried the painted guitar route and experimented with different colours, but he felt it diminished the sound and characteristics of the guitar.
” I hated the way they fucking sounded – They don’t sound as warm, the paint is brittle – it adds a really weird sound to it.“
Nuno Bettencourt
It was also a feeling that unfinished wood absorbed the player’s blood, sweat, tears, and energy to enhance a deeper connection.
FAQ
Vlog
Final Thoughts
The fact that this instrument is still being made today speaks for itself.
The N4 is a great guitar player and sounding instrument, and it is not just for Nuno Bettencourt fans.
I have always liked the reverse headstock design, but it takes some getting used to when tuning.
The Aging of the N4 Authentic is a nice touch, but Nuno believes that natural wood captures the player’s energy, so the journey between the guitar’s story and you should be individual and have the guitar start un-aged.
The Buzz Feiten Tuning System speaks of creating intonation across the entire neck that is dead-on accurate.
Some players claim to hear no difference, and some argue that the BFTS Guitars have improved the intonation accuracy on the 3 & 4 frets and virtually the entire fretboard.
The only way to know is to try it yourself and see.
Regarding the controls, the sound of your playing comes first and foremost from the hands, not the instrument, but only having one volume and no tone control might not be a choice for everyone.
Should You Add This Guitar To Your Collection?
If you are looking for a Lightweight, High-Performance, Comfortable Guitar with tons of value, then look at the N4.
You can always tell when a joint venture of Artists and manufacturers works.
The Artist puts in their extensive field/stage experience, and the manufacturer listens and works to fix problems that the Artist is experiencing.
This N4 is precisely that.
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Also…
Leave your comments below if you want me to review a favourite guitar.
As always, stay the course and keep playing.
Image of Nuno on Feature Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and released into the public domain
Image of Nuno Bettencourt CTA courtesy of Amazon.com
The Blog Banner Guitar images courtesy of guitarcenter.com and washburn.com
Final thoughts Ai AI-generated images courtesy of Co-pilot
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Nuno Bettencourt Washburn N4 Guitar
$ 4,625 .00
Pros
- Stephen's Patented Design Extended Cutaway
- Buzz Feiten Tuning System
- Seymour Duncan '59 (Neck) /Bill Lawrence L500 (Bridge) Pickup Configuration
- EVH D-Tuna - With Its Own Routed Body Channel
- Maple-Fast-playing neck with Ebony Fretboard
Cons
- 1 Volume - 3-way toggle -Only!
- Aged
- Pricey
Starting A Journey At 7 Years Of Age, The Love For The Guitar Only Became Stronger Going Into My Teens. This Leading To An Exciting Time Of Teaching, Performing, And Recording. Join Me Now As We Can Bring The Love Of This Instrument To Other Musicians Globally.
Such a phenomenal musician, to able to transition through different genres and still stand out as one of the best is a remarkable talent, now enthusiastic artist who love his sound and how he plays will be able to use the same instrument and continue adding to the wonderful legend. It looks stunning, and the craftsmanship is another talent all on it’s own.
Hello DashDNations
Nice to meet you, and thank you for coming by and leaving your thoughts on the blog.
This was an older post, but we decided to give it an update due to the traction Nuno has been getting with his new 6 release and the amount of attention his playing has received.
He has stayed true to his gifts and continued to ‘Rise” his passion on every project.
Respect to Nuno, and it’s nice to have him lead the charge for guitarists everywhere.
The N4 is truly an extension of him and his energies, and for electric players, it is an excellent guitar to own.
Everyone should have a Washburn in their lineup; they are a great machine, like the Washburn Parallaxe, for the price and value cannot be matched.
Do not hesitate to read more posts; leaving your thoughts is always appreciated.
Regards
Dino@GSG
I really enjoyed learning about its features and the collaboration between Washburn and Nuno Bettencourt. The Buzz Feiten Tuning System sounds intriguing, but I’m curious to know if it truly makes a noticeable difference in intonation accuracy across the entire neck. Have you had the chance to compare the N4 with and without the system? Overall, this seems like a fantastic guitar option for players seeking a high-quality, performance-oriented instrument.
Thanks for sharing!
Hello Ronald
It was great to meet you. Thank you for coming by and leaving your thoughts.
This article was revised from its first publication in 2021 based on Nuno’s ongoing exposure.
To answer your questions, the Buzz Feiten Tuning System is a great concept and is supposed to work great with intonation and alternate tunings.
You can even tune a whole step down from standard tuning.
I have a Washburn parallax with the BFTS and a number of guitars without, so speaking to it to see if it truly makes a difference, I cannot say, for as soon as I purchased my Washburn, I had it set up with our guitar tech and its been good.
But I would opt out of having the BFTS instead of not having it, at least on one of your models (if it is available)
Do not hesitate to read more posts and leave your thoughts because we appreciate your interest in our content.
Dino@gstringuitars