To solve the equation \(-52 = 4(3n - 1)\), we will first distribute the \(4\) on the right side:
\[ -52 = 4 \cdot 3n - 4 \cdot 1 \] \[ -52 = 12n - 4 \]
Next, we can add \(4\) to both sides of the equation to isolate the term with \(n\):
\[ -52 + 4 = 12n \] \[ -48 = 12n \]
Now, to solve for \(n\), we divide both sides by \(12\):
\[ n = \frac{-48}{12} \] \[ n = -4 \]
Thus, the solution is:
\[ n = -4 \]