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Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA
Washburn N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA
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Playability
67
Sound
77
Build
69
Value
61
Score
71
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Playability
67
Sound
77
Build
69
Value
61
Score
71
FIND IT ON:
Sweetwater logo
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Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA vs N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA

Reasons to Get
Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA over N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA

Reasons to Get
Washburn N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA over N4-Nuno Vintage USA

Other Key Differences
Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA vs N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA

Body Wood
Alder vs Ash
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Birdseye Maple vs Maple
Different Neck Wood

Shared Features
Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA vs N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA

Bridge Pickup
Bill Lawrence L-500
Same Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Seymour Duncan '59 SH-1N
Same Neck Pickup
Fretboard Wood
Ebony
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
R6
Same Headstock
Nut Material
Locking
Same Nut Material
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
0
Same tone control
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Floyd Rose
Allows intense vibratos and techniques like Dive Bombs
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Neck Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Type of Frets
Medium
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Weight Relief
  • Retainer Bar
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA Prices

SET PRICE ALERT

Washburn N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA Prices

SET PRICE ALERT

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that both instruments scored 71 out of 100, which makes them similar in terms of quality.

The Washburn N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA wins when it comes to. On the other hand, the Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA has the upper hand when it comes to.

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

Both meet 3 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.

New Player Friendliness

Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA
  • Comfortable shape
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

New Player Friendliness

Washburn N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA
  • Comfortable shape
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA Overview

  • From Washburn's 2010 Nuno Bettencourt series
  • Nuno Bettencourt Signature
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Alder body
  • Birdseye Maple 5-Bolt Stephen's Extended Cutaway neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Bill Lawrence L-500 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan '59 SH-1N (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 0 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Floyd Rose 1000 Series Original bridge
  • Washburn Nuno Bettencourt Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Medium frets
  • Grover Exclusive 18:1 Chrome tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Washburn N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA Overview

  • From Washburn's 2010 Nuno Bettencourt series
  • Nuno Bettencourt Signature
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Swamp Ash body
  • Maple neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Bill Lawrence L-500 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan '59 SH-1N (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 0 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Floyd Rose 1000 Series Original bridge
  • Washburn Nuno Bettencourt Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Medium frets
  • Grover Exclusive tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony

Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.

Woods Used in the Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA

Birdseye Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Birdseye Maple
Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

This wood has beautiful patterns only found in specific types of maple.

Alder is the most popular wood that Fender uses in most of their guitars nowadays. Even though they say it's because of its balanced tone with an emphasis in the upper midrange, it probably is because it isn't too expensive, and it's also pretty lightweight—more than Mahogany. Find out more about Alder.

Woods Used in the Washburn N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Ash wood pattern used for guitar building
Ash

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

Ash is a type of wood that Fender used almost exclusively in the 50s, and it's still used by many brands. It's a dense wood with a light color that works well for a transparent, natural finish because of its beautiful patterns. In terms of sound, it's known for emphasizing the mid and high frequencies, but with strong low end. Find out more about Ash.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

Both pickup configurations are HH. Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.

Pickups Quality

Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.

You can purchase similar pickups to the Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA's and use them on any guitar:

We found the same or similar pickups to the Washburn N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA's online:

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Tie.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.

Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.

They both share the following switching options:

Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA and Washburn N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA and Washburn N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA's switch options

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Tie.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA
Pickups 90
Sustain 70
Versatility 62
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 77
Washburn N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA
Pickups 90
Sustain 70
Versatility 62
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 77

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA compares to the Washburn N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in United States.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

Winner: Tie

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

In this case, both have Locking nuts. Instead of a regular nut, this guitar has a locking system that will lock down the strings at the nut, preventing it from getting out of tune. It removes one of the disadvantages of tremolo bridges, tune stability.

Unfortunately, neither of them have a retainer bar for the nut, which would be a helpful addition. Without it, the strings will change pitch once you lock down the nut, so you'll have to make more micro-adjustments at the bridge to tune it correctly.

Winner: Tie.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

Both come with a similar bridge: Floyd Rose. This is a double-locking bridge system that allows you to perform techniques like dive bombs and pinch harmonics. The locking nut allows your guitar to stay in tune even after the most intense tremolo usage. The disadvantage is that it takes more work to change the strings and set up everything correctly.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA's are Grover Exclusive 18:1 Chrome while the Washburn N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA's are Grover Exclusive

Winner: Tie.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

Both have a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Retainer Bar
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Washburn N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Retainer Bar
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA
Quality of materials 51
Features 60
Quality Control 95
Build Quality 69
Washburn N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA
Quality of materials 51
Features 60
Quality Control 95
Build Quality 69

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA Nut Width
Both Guitars Have The Same Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 43mm (1.693'').

This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 6-string guitar. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.

Scale Length

Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA and Washburn N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA's Scale Length
Both have the same scale length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

In this case, both have a scale length of 25.5".

This is the scale used in most Stratocasters. It's slightly longer than the typical 24.75'' size found in Les Pauls, and it's one of the main reasons why Stratocasters have such a bright sound in general. A longer scale also means that the strings will have higher tension. This will help you get lower action without suffering fret buzz, which will also be helpful when playing in lower tunings without having to increase your string gauge.

However, this also means that there will be more separation between frets, which can make it more difficult to play. Also, bending the strings will require more strengths due to the increased tension, but remember that a tremolo guitar will offset this difficulty.

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA Neck Profile
Both guitars have the same neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA and the Washburn N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA Fingerboard Radius
Both Guitars Have The Same Fretboard Radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

Both the Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA and the Washburn N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA have the same fretboard radius of 12". This is the radius used in most Gibson guitars. It gives you a good balance for playing chords without muting, but also good comfortability for playing single notes and bending.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison favor small hands .

Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Washburn N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA and Washburn N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA Frets Size
Both have a similar Medium fret size

Both have a Medium fret size. If you like feeling the fretboard when you play, but also appreciate some easiness to press down the frets, this size offers a good balance for that.

Final Playability Scores

Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 70
Playability 67
Washburn N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 70
Playability 67

Specs Side-by-Side

Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA vs N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA
General Washburn N4-Nuno Vintage USA N4-Nuno Swamp Ash USA
Brand: Washburn Washburn
Year: 2010 2010
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States United States
Series: Nuno Bettencourt Nuno Bettencourt
Colors: Natural Matte Natural
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Alder Swamp Ash
Bridge: Floyd Rose 1000 Series Original Floyd Rose 1000 Series Original
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Grover Exclusive 18:1 Chrome Grover Exclusive
Fretboard: Ebony Ebony
Neck Material: Birdseye Maple 5-Bolt Stephen's Extended Cutaway Maple
Decoration: Dots Dots
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: Washburn Nuno Bettencourt Washburn Nuno Bettencourt
Frets: 22 Medium Nickel Silver 22 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 12"
Nut: Locking Locking
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Bill Lawrence L-500 (Humbucker / Passive) Bill Lawrence L-500 (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Seymour Duncan '59 SH-1N (Humbucker / Passive) Seymour Duncan '59 SH-1N (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 0 0