Nele

I was hoping to get more details on the new Washburn Nele from the official website but it seems that no new details had surfaced (as yet). When we thought Nuno would end his Washburn relationship somehow, we get a new signature which has all the simple attractions. As a mark of respect, Washburn, the least you could do for endorsers is to update details of new products at your home page. Perhaps this is a little too difficult for you to do. 

Washburn: N4CV

Washburn's Nuno models have been around for a while. Nuno Bettencourt is in fact Washburn's premier endorser who is off the radar when it comes to guitar technicalities but he's a proven player. No issues there. You might be mistaken for seeing another Nuno regurgitation but the N4CV here differs from its predecessors by sporting a carbon fibre fretboard & steel frets. The idea here is to induce a different feel under the fingertips so that one can get up to speed when it come to some fast runs during play.

N7

Here's another addition to Nuno's Washburn models; the N7. A new model with an additional string. No Bill Lawrence pickups this time, but a pair of Duncans:

• Neck: '59
• Bridge: Distortion

Remembering Palmer

I was digging into my forgotten CD collection (largely regrettable grunge stuff...) when I stumbled upon Robert Palmer's Honey which triggered lots of memories... I purchased this CD at Stamford Road's MPH outlet, the place where I spent my lonely teenage years browsing through guitar magazines for hours. Honey featured Extreme's Nuno Bettencourt on guitars who was actually one of the formidable players I look up to back then (no, not because of More Than Words- Bettencourt's equally capable with solos as well as rhythm, that was my reverence for this chap...).

All in all, Honey contained some of the most relaxing pop tunes I've come across & it wasn't a regrettable acquisition. The year was 1994... I wonder what you were doing back then...

RIP: Robert Allen Palmer (1949-2003)

PS: Honey, if you are reading this, I remember you...