If you're a traditionalist, you're going to love the Washburn Americana M118SW. This Florentine-style mandolin looks like it came straight out of museum with a thinners satin finish that gives a more worn/used look, as well as aged hardware, and ebonite tuner buttons that add to its handed-down appeal.

However, the attention to detail wasn't preserved only for the aesthetic side of things. The M118SW was built to produce glorious tone as well. Washburn created this fine mandolin out of solid woods for solid tone. The back and sides were crafted from carved Canadian flame maple, while the top features solid carved European spruce paired quarter sawn Sitka spruce bracing. The flame maple neck is topped with an ebony fingerboard and dot inlays. These carefully chosen tonewoods, combined with the deeper F-style body design, offer up more volume and projection than traditional mandolins. It also comes with a wider nut and wider string spacing, making it an easier pick for players with bigger fingers. 

Washburn has been building mandolins since the late 1800s. Lyon & Healy, Washburn’s parent company in the 19th century, was the first American manufacturer of mandolins and Washburn began making mandolins in 1887. The M118SW echos the trends in mandolin styles of the early 20th century and remains the popular style today. Whether you're into bluegrass, Celtic or rock music, the addition of a mandolin can broaden your sonic pallet and add a new dimension to your sound.