The Washburn N4 is an electric guitar model, developed in collaboration between Nuno Bettencourt, Washburn and the Seattle-based luthier Stephen Davies. Since its introduction in mid-late 1990, it became Bettencourt's primary guitar and it is marketed by Washburn as his signature model. The N4 is the flagship of the Washburn N-prefix guitar models.
(N8 being an "N4 times 2" since it is a double neck guitar).
The N4 features a distinctive superstrat form-factor, two humbucking pickups, floating tremolo system and the Stephens Extended Cutaway enhanced bolt-on neck joint, a patented design that allows easier player access to higher frets.
Since 1990, there have been numerous versions of the N4 using various woods and hardware parts.
Features
Body
Models have appeared using alder, padauk (paduak, padouk) and swamp ash. Korina, mahogany, sapele, and maple woods also have been used for some limited series.
While all regular N4s have an oil finish, a few limited-edition models have featured lacquered bodies.
Neck
Generally, the N4 has a maple neck (the N4 Vintage having birdseye maple), excepting padauk models (padauk necks) and sapele models (sapele necks).
The neck has 22 jumbo frets and dot inlays, with the exception of the N4E-MNM Mourning Widows model and the XX model, which have Mourning Widows logo-shaped inlays. That logo reproduces a tattoo Bettencourt has on his left arm.
Fingerboard
With the exception of the very rare all-padauk models (which have a padauk fingerboard), all N4s have ebony fingerboards. Recent special editions, as well as the derived N5/N6 models have maple fingerboards. Some other derivative such as the N2, N3 and N24 have rosewood boards to reduce costs. Composite fingerboards have been used on prototypes.
Neck Joint
The N4 neck is a bolt-on type using an unusual mounting system, the Stephen's Extended Cutaway, invented by Seattle luthier Stephen Davies and licensed by Washburn. It features a five-bolt curved joint, intended to give the player greater access to upper frets while maintaining proper and comfortable hand position, due to its 'heel-less' design.
Pickups
The standard N4 bears a Seymour Duncan SH1n (nicknamed the "'59 Model") at the neck position and a Bill Lawrence L500 at the bridge.
Some confusion arises as Washburn has in the past installed pickups from both Bill Lawrence (doing business as Wilde Pickups) and Bill Lawrence USA (owned by Jzchak Wajcman). Bill Lawrence left the company Bill Lawrence USA in 1984.
Bettencourt has stated that he uses an L500 pickup. Actually, his primary N4 (alder) bears an L500XL Bill Lawrence USA pickup—made before Bill Lawrence left the company—rather than the more recent L500. Although similar in appearance, there is controversy among fans over which pickup is genuine in sound to the original pickups Bettencourt used.
A "Bill Lawrence USA" logo may appear on the bridge pickup. Else, if the spaces of the pickup's chrome case have been filled with epoxy resin, it is a Bill Lawrence USA L500 rather than Wilde (which doesn't employ epoxy potting in their design).
The first 20 N4s made in 1990 actually came with a Seymour Duncan JB in the neck and a Bill Lawrence L500 in the bridge.
Controls
All N4s have a 3-way pickup selector located on the lower horn as well as a single volume pot. Few models also feature a tone control (i.e. the Washburn sunburst as well as the Mourning Widows model).
Tremolo
While the very first N4 design had a Kahler tremolo, standard Washburn N4s feature a Washburn tremolo made by Schaller in Germany. Vintage and Relic models as well as the "2.0 models" do have the Original Floyd Rose tremolo unit as used by Bettencourt himself.
Buzz Feiten Tuning System
In the mid-1990s, Washburn added the Buzz Feiten Tuning System as a standard feature of the N4. This purports to improve tuning accuracy of guitars over the fretboard. (A few slots of the guitar's nut are moved fractionally toward the bridge, and the instrument is intonated accordingly).