Washburn has introduced two new limited edition, maple-topped models which they have suggested may be “the most beautiful guitars in existence.”

These latest additions to their Southwest Series of acoustic guitars, the D49SPK and D49CESPK both feature bodies made with highly-figured spalted maple.

The two guitars differ only in that the CE model has a lower bout cutaway and onboard electronics. Both are ornamented with triangular inlays of abalone and mother-of-pearl in the rosewood fingerboard and a decorative ebony bridge.

There are no details about these new models yet on the Washburn web site, but Washburn dealers should have more information about pricing and availability.

UPDATE 9/8:  We just heard back from Washburn with prices on these new models.

The D49SP carries a MSRP of $999.90 and the D49CESPK $1169.90. Both ship with a hard shell case.

The Washburn Guitar folks have a number of new acoustic models. All were debuted at the recent Winter NAMM show, and will be arriving in dealer showrooms later this summer.

Striking and unexpected wood choices are a theme with these five new guitars, three of which are available with onboard electronics.

The two dreadnaughts (D46SP and D46CESP) are maple guitars, using a highly-figured spalted variety for the top, back and sides. This splating is a result of the action of fungi on maple after harveting, but prior to manufacture.

The D46SP will retail for $839.90 and the D46CESP with cutaway and B-Band A-15 electronics for $999.00.

Another interesting wood choice is Java Ebony, used on the J27CE jumbo cutaway. The body is ebony with a mahogany neck and a rosewood fingerboard and bridge. Many people associate ebony with a nearly-black appearance, but a great deal of ebony has a streaked, reddish-brown look before staining. Washburn has left this wood in its natural state.

The J27CE, with onboard electronics will retail for $1,099.90.

There are also two new additions to Washburn’s long-running and very successful Festival Series guitars. These feature an oval sound hole and a cutaway with the EA17 ($649.90) being a deep body guitar and the EA21HM ($1,299.90) a much thinner model. Both feature the same B-Band A-15 electronics.

Washburn has announced the release of two new mandolin models, both designed to mimic the appearance of gently worn vintage instruments. These are solid wood mandolins featuring flame maple back and sides and a hand carved spruce top.

The Washburn folks are marking their 125th anniversary in 2008, and introduced these new models as a celebration of their long history building acoustic instruments. The vintage look – complete with aged hardware and a lighter, satin finish – suggests the styling that launched the US mandolin craze in the 1920s, and which has remained the standard to this day.

The M118SW is an F-style model that retails for $1,349.90 while its cousin, the M116SW is an A-style body with a retail price of $1,149.90. Both have a rosewood fingerboard and bridge, Allan tailpiece, ebonite tuner buttons and ship with a hard shell case. Washburn offers a limited lifetime warranty on all their new instruments.

You can find out more about these, and all the other Washburn mandolin models, on their official web site.

The new Washburn Baby Jumbo acoustic guitars, which had been announced earlier this year, are now shipping to dealers. Washburn is marketing these two new models as intended for players who like the sound of a larger body guitar, but want an instrument that is more compact, and in the case of the cutaway/electrified model, ready for stage use.

Both models are made with a larger lower bout than a dreadnaught or concert body size, but with a shorter body length than most jumbo sized guitars. Washburn says that the actual volume of body space is the same as a concert size, but with a much wider vibrating surface where the bridge fastens to the top.

The WB400SW is made with all solid woods (cedar top, rosewood back and sides), a mahogany neck, ebony bridge and fingerboard and a bone nut and saddle.

The WB400SWCE is very much the same guitar, but with a solid spruce top, cutaway for easy access to upper frets, and Washburn’s B-Band designed pickup and pre-amp system with both ¬º” and XLR outputs.

Both ship with a hardshell case and are covered by Washburn’s Limited Lifetime Warranty. They are offered from Washburn dealers worldwide, $1,499.90 for the base model and $1,799.90 for the cutaway electric.