The Axemen Series : Chuck Labossiere of VOTOV, PSYCHOTIC GARDENING, and IMMORTAL POSSESSION.

    Tell us your name and the band you play for.


My name is Chuck Labossiere and I am guitarist/vocalist in the bands

 

VOTOV, PSYCHOTIC GARDENING, and IMMORTAL POSSESSION.


    Who made you want to pick up the guitar.


I think at first, it was Randy Rhodes but then James Hetfield came

about and the vocal while singing thing became what I wanted to do.


    Are you self taught or did you take lessons?


I am self taught.


4. Can you read music, Can you read tab?


I cannot read music, but I can read tab. In the band, we teach each

other visually or by ear.


    Do you feel like you have your own sound / tone ?


Well, I like a clean dryish overdriven distortion along with a noise

gate. I tend to roll off the bottom end with EQ, to accentuate the

bass guitar. As long as my intonation is good, and I’m in tune, I’m good to go.


    Tell us about your guitar ( brand ,model . year , color )


I’m known for playing BC Rich Ironbirds. I have a white and a black

1991 Platinum Series which I still use to this day. My main guitar is

a custom built design that I created as a dream guitar. It is one

piece, with one EMG, one volume knob.



    What about pickups? Passive or active ? Tell us about them.


I love passive pickups, but I play with actives because I just happen

to have them in there.

My white Ironbird is still passive, so I have recently retired it from

the flock. My sound is either designed for one or the other, so it is

currently designed for active.



    Lets get into amplification, Same drill brand , model , speakers etc.


I’ve never owned a tube amp, so most of my life I played a Marshall

Mosfet 100, but I really hate the Marshall tone, so I eventually played a

Crate Excalibur. It was an amazing sound being amp until it shit the bed. Then I bought a

Fender Mustang V and I love it! People laugh when they see it, then they

wonder, what the fuck?!! That sounded great, how did you do that with

that amp?!! I just play really tight and clean. Speaker preference is

Celestions, but I’ll play whatever.


    Do you have a pedal board? Tell us about that badboy.


My pedal board only consists of a Shure wireless/tuner, then my noise

gate. (Boss NS-2). I also

have a Boss sampler for the intros between songs.


    Now tell us your Dream Rig in detail…..


I would like to downsize as much as possible actually. I’d keep the

same wireless/tuner because it rules. I would like to try a Zuul noise

gate. I really want a Quilter Overdrive 200 amp! It’s amazing to me,

built realy well and sounds perfect for me! I want a 2x12 Mesa cab to

go with that. I would love a new BC Rich Ironbird with an Evertune

bridge and one bridge pickup, one volume know, input jack on front.


    What guitarist can you not stand?


I don’t think there’s anyone I cannot stand, but there is certainly

styles that I don’t enjoy. Really technical noodling bores me, I

prefer solid heavy riffs instead.


12. Is tone more important or is technique?


  

Both are important, but technique is more important in my opinion. I really hate sloppy playing and I especially hate noise in between songs! Ugh!!


13. Name your top 5 guitarist.


Randy Rhodes, James Hetfield, Terrence Hobbs, Priest duo, Hoffmann brothers


    Who is the most overrated guitarist?


Jimmi Hendrix


    Who would you like a one hour private sit down lessons with anyone

dead or alive?


Probably Peter Steele, not for lessons, but just so I can meet him.