Whoa, Nele: Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt collaborates with Washburn on signature T-style with six-way pickup switching

We’ve always been big fans of the Nuno Bettencourt’s signature Washburn N4. Now, after decades of exclusively playing that design Bettencourt and Washburn have collaborated on a new electric guitar model, the T-style Nele.

The new custom-built, US-made model is available in standard and deluxe versions and features a single-cut natural-grain swamp ash body with extended cutaway, Seymour Duncan Vintage Stack neck pickups and Bill Lawrence L-250 bridge pickups.

Particularly cool is the newly-designed six-way 'Freeway Ultra' switch, which allows players to select from the neck pickup, bridge pickup, bridge and neck, both pickups in series and in phase, both pickups in series and out of phase or both pickups parallel and out of phase.

Additional features include a maple neck, 22-fret birdseye maple fretboard and acrylic inlay on the Standard version, while the Deluxe sports a birdseye maple neck, 22-fret ebony fretboard and pearloid inlay, and adds a figured maple cap on the swamp ash body.

Said Bettencourt, “I’m excited about the new Nele and its multitude of tones. In addition to taking a traditional approach with single coils, the six-position switch opens up new creative possibilities and gives me more granular tone control.

“Washburn has been with me through thick and thin, and fans will hear this guitar on the new Extreme album.”

The Nele Standard is offered for $3,600, while the Deluxe is available for $4,370.

For more information, head to Washburn.