All user reviews for the Richmond Empire

Single cut guitar type manufactured in Canada (Godin)
- Maple Body and Poplar
- Mahogany neck screwed
- Rosewood fingerboard, 22 frets
- A low noise single coil and humbucker
- A 3-position toggle, one volume, one tone
- Wraparound Bridge, Kluson-type mechanical
Simple, classic and effective

UTILIZATION

As to the cause of Canadian guitars for a long time my opinion is worth it in terms of objectivity ...
What attracted me to this guitar in addition to his look (the head is amazing!) Is its weight and ergonomics.
I was looking for a guitar for concerts, lighter than my Godin LG SP90 darkgold, which is great but heavy.
Mission accomplished with the Empire, it is very light. Associated with neck and fingerboard Godin key, the ergonomics of the guitar is very good. No imbalance, comfortable, easy to play, a joy, you can play for hours without fatigue!
Despite the single cut forms was closer to sensations of more than one SG LP.
Question sleeve, it is rather round with a flattening in the center. I find it a bit thin for my taste but overall comfort catching this detail slightly.

SOUNDS

I mainly blues and rock with 70's, plugged into a Peavey Classic 30 with plexdrive Weehbo or Digitech Bad Monkey between.
My first idea was to waltz the single coil, which on paper does not inspire me too, in favor of a humbucker. Presentation at NAMM show 2014 an Empire with two double leaves me thinking that I'm not the only one who had this idea.
In the first test, the single is indeed a bit dark. After adjustment by the excellent Mike Von Brown Kustom Guitar (http://vonbrownguitare.wix.com/vonbrownguitar), this microphone becomes the true good surprise guitar. The sound has a very good definition, precise and yet thick and deep with lots of bass. Perfect as in clean crunch and as the name suggests (low noise), not a sound! It is a single coil type Hi-Lo Tron. The trick consists in setting the skew 2-3mm above to treble strings.
Double does the job but nothing more, it is a copy of classic 57 like so many others.
The guitar is as often with Godin, versatile enough in clean, crunch and overdrive, with a focus still very rock. I have not pushed the curiosity to connect a Metal Zone to see ...
Question sustain, tweak the blow to belief: the sleeves screwed no less sustain the sleeves stuck. on the other hand guitars made by people whose job it is and not in a factory that makes guitars on Monday, sun on Tuesday and Wednesday crates have better sustain.
The guitar has a widespread conception in Godin: central corp is maple, harder, for better conduction of vibrations from one end to the other strings, and wings softer (poplar) for low . If we add the varnish and wraparound end ...
Many guitars set neck dream of having the sustain of the Empire.

OVERALL OPINION

Richmond Empire is a very good guitar, with as usual with Godin, excellent value for money.
A good example of an input range does not always mean cheap. The Empire has a level of finish and requirements that ridicule the term "custom" attached to many Sino-Korean philippo series painted in cou with a sticker photo-flamed maple for a table.
Here, we like each Godin: a hand finished with fine painted and pre-worn handle, a folding key with impeccable frets, electronic cavities shielded graphite paint, components and wood quality.
After everyone buys what he wants

- Canadian guitar, made by the group Godin.
- Bolt mahogany, satin finish, rosewood fingerboard, 22 frets, medium frets
- Mahogany body two parts, gloss
- A simple micro Godin handle
- A Godin humbucker bridge
- Wraparound tailpiece
- Vintage mechanical
- 1 volume, 1 tone, 3-position toggle a
- Tie-strap, Schaller strap-locks (Part strap not included)
- Supplied in a bag of very good quality

UTILIZATION

The aesthetics of the guitar is superb, the two pieces of mahogany body is beautiful, with beautiful veining and a connection of two pieces of mahogany very clean, all enhanced by a classy gloss.
The handle is not left with a nice grip, a smooth profile and slipped a perfect through the satin. Access to acute to do without too much trouble, even though only one notch.
Electronic side, it's very simple, two microphones Godin. A single in the neck position with a large coil (larger than a simple but not a P-90) and a humbucker in acute position. Everything is controlled by a volume, one tone and a 3 position toggle. Noise? RAS
The hardware is simple and vintage easel-style wraparound tailpiece and mechanical vintage Fender type.
The grip is good, sitting as standing, the weight is correct, it sounds good to dry, which is a good sign.

SOUNDS

Being a lover of vintage gear, this Richmond me away caught the eye, and once connected, it does not at all over me.
they agree perfectly with the style of music played (rock / hard / pop 60/70), riffs, rhythms and solos.
In the light plugged into a twin or deluxe reverb, the sounds are very good, the microphone is very simple to handle round, a little deaf in the lower register. It allows you to play solos quite clear plans with a little reverb, lowering the tone may be obtained jazzy sounds convincing.
The parallel of the two microphones is very interesting game for the arpeggio, more brilliance and attack.
The bridge pickup at a larger output, which can be interesting for its clear style rockab 'or 50's rock, but it sounds more muscular that is devastating.
Used on crunch sounds, distos, fuzz, this guitar is amazing. Still a record vintage, it sounds so warm with good attack and sustain, more than adequate even with the handle screw.
I tested all three positions in the same micro amps mentioned above with different pedals, an Electo-Benrod classic screamer, a DGTM, a JMI Suppafuzz, A Biyang OD 7, a big muff USD.
It sounds rock in all cases of figures, using a pedal isolation or in combination, is organic, responsive, very musical. Mics meets the attacks and the intensity of the game
The acute micro-level signals above the neck pickup which can be convenient to go solo in the context of use to the old English with an amplifier for example.
The Empire is somewhat reminiscent of the SG, for his part very intuitive and bastonneur, making it a riffeuse but not that!
Mix in a guitar / bass / drums, it fits without worries, without taking up too much space. In a configuration with two guitarists, it's perfect, which is not always the case with all guitars of this type, with a high output level.

OVERALL OPINION

A guitar is simple, or there have not superfluous, both in form and finish, as the couple electronics / hardware.
There is everything you need or it takes to make a simple guitar, beautiful and reliable.
Oriented vintage rock all the same, it can also be used in lots of other more modern styles, it is best to see it in real and tested, addiction guaranteed!