Nuno Bettencourt Signature Series

This series was co-designed with Nuno Bettencourt and features the patented Extended Stephen´s Cutaway. All of the U.S.-built instruments in this series were produced in Chicago, and featured Seymour Duncan or Bill Lawrence pickups.

Nuno Bettencourt came aboard in 1990 and was the first Washburn artist to endorse a guitar with the SEC. The early N4 guitars were made by Stephen Davies at his Seattle workshop and are considered much sought after for N4 fans. Much of the EC26 was based into the early N4 USA models. The early-speced Davies' N4s are quite different when compared to the newer ones. Recently, Washburn has re-issued Davies' speced N4s.

The Nuno Bettencourt signature series is Washburn's prime and most notable guitar. It sells very well and custom orders are quite popular. The patent on the Stephen's Extended Cutaway also expired within the last year, which means that any company can use the SEC on a product line.

Visit the Funky Munky Music forums to discuss more.

 

 

Below are specs of all the specific models:

Info taken from BlueBook Inc. - Check out their online subscription for estimated value.

N1/N1A

- offset double cutaway alder body, bolt-on maple neck, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlay, matching reverse headstock, six-on-one-side Grover tuners, standard tremolo, two exposed Washburn humbucker pickups, single volume control, three-way switch, chrome hardware, available in Black, Ivory, Natural Matte, Olive Green (2005-06), or Padauk Stain finish, mfg. 1995-99, 2005-07. Olive Green finish was only available in 1995. In 1996, the N1A model was introduced with Natural Matte or Padauk finish. In 1997/98, the N1 and N1A were combined into the same model, and Black and Ivory finishes were disc.

N2

- offset double cutaway alder body, bolt-on maple neck, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay, reverse headstock, 600S Pro Floyd Rose licensed tremolo with locking nut, two Washburn Eliminator humbucker pickups, two knobs, five-way switch, chrome hardware, available in Black (disc. 2008), Candy Apple (disc. 2007), Natural Matte, or Padauk finish, mfg. 1990-99, 2005-present. In 1992, a Bill Lawrence pickup was replaced in the bridge position and one knob replaced two. In 1993, Black and Candy Apple finish were disc.

N4 (E/A, U.S. MFG.)

- offset double cutaway alder body, bolt-on maple Stephen's Extended Cutaway neck, 22-fret ebony fingerboard with pearl dot inlay, reverse headstock with six-on-one-side Grover tuners, Floyd Rose tremolo vibrato with locking nut, two exposed Seymour Duncan humbucker pickups, single volume control, three-way switch, chrome hardware, available in Black or Natural Matte finish, mfg. 1990-98, 2001. In 1992, Black finish was disc., a Bill Lawrence bridge pickup replaced the Seymour Duncan, and a Schaller licensed Floyd Rose tremolo replaced the original. In 1998, the Buzz Feiten Tuning System was introduced.

N4(E) SA Swamp Ash (U.S. Mfg.)
- similar to N4EA, except has a swamp ash body, available in Natural Matte, Paduak Stain Natural Matte, or Vintage Sunburst finishes, mfg. 1994-present. In 1996, Padauk finish was introduced. In 1998, the Buzz Feiten Tuning System and Vintage Sunburst finish was introduced. In 2001, Vintage Sunburst was disc.In 2002, Padauk finish was disc.

N4E QM Quilt Maple (U.S. Mfg.)
- similar to N4EA, except has a quilted maple top and Buzz Feiten Tuning System, available in Tobacco Sunburst or Wineburst finish, mfg. 1997-99.

N4 Relic/Vintage (U.S. Mfg.)
- similar to N4 (EA), except has an aged solid alder body, and aged hardware, Buzz Feiten Tuning System, and the N4 graphic on body, available in Natural Matte finish, mfg. 2002-present.

N5 (U.S. MFG.)

- double offset cutaway solid alder body with Stephen's cutaway, bird's-eye maple neck, 22-fret birdseye maple fingerboard with dot inlay, reverse six-on-one-side tuners, Floyd Rose tremolo, anaodized aluminum pickguard, three single coil Seymour Duncan pickups, two knobs, Buzz Feiten Tuning system, black hardware, available in Black, Cream, Military Green, or Tobacco Sunburst finish, mfg. 2005-08.

N6 (U.S. MFG.)

- double offset cutaway solid alder body with Stephen's cutaway, bird's-eye maple neck, 22-fret birdseye maple fingerboard with dot inlay, reverse six-on-one-side tuners, Floyd Rose tremolo, anaodized aluminum pickguard, two single coil and one humbucker Seymour Duncan pickups, two knobs, Buzz Feiten Tuning system, chrome hardware, available in Black, Cream, Military Green (2005-08), or Tobacco Sunburst (2005-08) finish, mfg. 2005-present.

N8

- double neck configuration, swamp ash body, two bolt-on maple necks (12-string top, six-string bottom), 22-fret ebony fingerboards, reverse headstocks with six-per-side tuners (12-string has the octave-tuners underneath the bridge), Schaller Floyd Rose tremolo for six string, standard bridge for 12-string, three Seymour Duncan '59 humbucker pickups (12-string and six-string neck), one Bill Lawrence L500 humbucker for six-string bridge, single volume knob (with split for necks), three-way switch, chrome hardware, available in Natural Matte finish, mfg. 1995-97.

N61

- offset double cutaway swamp ash body, bolt-on maple neck with Stephen's Extended Cutaway, 22-fret maple or ebony fingerboard with black or pearl dot inlays, reverse headstock, six-on-the-other-side tuners, Schaller Floyd Rose licensed tremolo with locking nut, matching finish pickguard, one Bill Lawrence L500 humbucker bridge pickup and two Seymour Duncan single coil pickups HSS, two knobs (v, tone), five-way pickup switch, chrome hardware, available in Black or Cream finish, mfg. 2007-08.

 

 

 

 

More to come.................