Godin guitars has announced a new line of high-quality, handcrafted electric guitars, to be manufactured under the new brand Richmond. The brand takes it's name from the town in Quebec where the guitars will be produced by a small number of luthiers, hand-picked by Monsieur Godin himself.

The first two Richmond guitars -- unveiled at Musik Messe 2008 -- are styled after two, highly collectible and hard to come by electrics. The Richmond Belmont is reminiscent of Epiphone's Wilshire solid body. The guitar features Seymour Duncan designed pickups: a '59 humbucker in the bridge and two lipstick tube single coils in the neck and middle, selectable via 5-way switch. The body and neck are mahogany, and the "ergocut" fingerboard is rosewood.

The Richmond Dorchester borrows it's look from the vintage Mosrites popularized by the 60's surf-rock movement. It's stock two Lace Alumitone humbuckers, a chambered maple body with poplar wings and a maple neck with rosewood or maple fretboard. The unique 4-way pickup selector features a "series" position for extra output and distortion that's simple dans la lune.

The new head of Richmond guitars, while refusing to be named, released this statement: "Il n'est pas être facile vert. Un plus grand homme que moi a dit cela, et il n'était pas même un homme, mais une marionnette. Je ne souhaite plus être une marionnette, et ainsi je crois en indépendance du Québec. Je, cependant, continuerai à faire des guitares pour M. Godin, parce qu'il m'aime, et je l'aime. Il m'a apporté le potage hier, qui était bon. Je fais des guitares et des pochettes en cuir!"