Washburn N4 Review (2019): Finely Crafted Signature Guitar

Body And Neck:
Hardware:
Sound:
Value:

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Nuno Bettencourt made his mark on the rock world as the lead guitarist for Extreme. He’s known for having chops galore while having the ability to be incredibly melodic at the same time. The Washburn N4 is his signature guitar, and while it may not let you play just as well as he can, you’ll be able to enjoy a finely crafted rock guitar.

Body and Neck

Several models of the N4 are available, with street prices that vary based on the level of features that are available. We looked at the N4 Nuno Padauk USA model and were very impressed with what we saw.

The modified Strat-style design of the N4’s body is the same across all of the guitars in the Nuno Bettencourt line. A big difference with the model we reviewed is the choice of padauk as the tonewood. It’s similar to rosewood across the tonal spectrum, giving you a well-rounded sound. One other feature of padauk is its distinctive (and attractive) grain pattern. A nice touch is the Stephens Extended Cutaway, which lets you reach all of the 22 frets with ease.

You’ll find that the neck on the N4 follows in the same design intent, as it also is constructed from padauk. The headstock has a styling that emulates a reverse Fender-style, and it has a true ebony fingerboard (with dot fret marker inlays) to help bring out the warmth of the overall padauk construction.

Hardware

The N4 comes with a Bill Lawrence L-500 bridge pickup, along with Seymour Duncan ‘59 loaded in the neck position. Controls are straightforward, with a three-way toggle switch mounted on the lower bout along with a single volume knob.

Nuno has been known to use (and abuse) a vibrato bar every now and then, and the choice of an authentic Floyd Rose 1000 Series bridge with a locking nut will let you dive-bomb to your heart’s content – all without ever having to worry about going out of tune. That is even more impressive since the N4 was designed to have a floating bridge setup, letting you pull up on the bar as well (thanks to the routed cavity under the fine tuners). Chrome-plated Grover 18:1 tuning machines also help to provide accurate and stable tuning capability.

Being as the N4 is towards the upper end of the price range, it’s good to see that Washburn has included a rugged hard-shell case to protect your investment.

Sound

Thanks to the pickup choices, it’s incredibly easy to get searing rock tones full of sustain from the N4. The combination of that plus the sonic qualities of the padauk neck and body construction gives a tone that is smooth and even across a wide frequency range. We’d definitely say that the N4 certainly could be used for more than just a ‘rock guitar,’ though – its wide range of sounds make it well-suited for many other styles of music.

Playability on the N4 is as to be expected from a guitar at this level. The action is incredibly smooth, and it's great for the legato and hyper-picked style that Nuno has made his calling card. A Stephens Extended Cutaway truly does make accessing the upper third of the neck easier. The modification of the heel design lets your hand position feel much more comfortable and natural as you are reaching to squeeze those notes from the upper frets.

Conclusion

Whether or not you’re a fan of Extreme (or any of the other great work that Nuno Bettencourt has done over the years), the Washburn N4 is a very well-executed example of what it takes to make a great signature guitar. Look past the nameplate, and you’ll find a top-notch guitar that could be used all across the musical spectrum.

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