Ibanez and Kramer proved you could build a guitar brand by association with big name players, and Washburn struck gold when they enlisted Nuno shortly before More Than Words became a worldwide smash. It was the early 90s, hairspray was giving way to grunge and the N4’s natural finish looked more contemporary than Charvel and Ibanez’s neon flash. Cutting edge shredders demanded flawless top-fret access, and the Stephens Extended Cutaway took this to the extreme with no neck heel whatsoever.