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Washburn built the N4 Authentic in its USA Custom Shop as an exact replica of Nuno Bettencourt's personal N4 guitar, introduced in 1990. The model was positioned as the closest production representation of that specific instrument, recreating its accumulated wear and physical character detail by detail — every dent and ding included — rather than presenting a factory-fresh interpretation of the design.
The guitar is constructed around an alder body and a birdseye maple neck joined via a 5-bolt Stephen's Extended Cutaway heel, a joint design that opens access to the upper register in a way a conventional heel does not. The 25-1/2" scale ebony fretboard carries 22 frets and dot inlays. The pickup complement mirrors Bettencourt's original: a Seymour Duncan 59 at the neck and a Bill Lawrence L-500 at the bridge, selected by a 3-way toggle alongside a single volume control. A Floyd Rose Original tremolo with locking nut handles pitch stability, and the unit is fitted with an EVH D-Tuna for instant drop to D tuning. The tuner set replicates the mixed configuration on Bettencourt's own guitar — four original Gotoh units alongside one later Gotoh and one Grover 18:1, all in chrome. The Buzz Feiten Tuning System is integrated into the neck for intonation compensation across the full length of the fretboard. The instrument ships strung with D'Addario EXL120 light-gauge strings and carries a distressed matte finish.
For setup, parts sourcing, or tremolo calibration on this instrument, consult a qualified guitar technician familiar with Floyd Rose Original systems and Buzz Feiten-compensated nuts.
Nothing in The Vault is for sale. These records exist so the instruments stay documented after the manufacturer moves on — and the most useful part of that record is what owners add to it.
The catalog shot showed one finish, under one light, a long time ago. Yours has been played. Photos from owners are what the next person finds when they are trying to identify a part, match a finish, or work out whether the one they just bought is really what the seller said it was.
Specs only go so far. What actually fits, what breaks first, what the factory got right and what everyone ends up changing — that lives with the people who own them, not in a datasheet. Post what you know and it stays on this page for whoever comes looking next.
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From spec questions to full builds — players who have lived this gear since 2007.
Since 2007
