Shane McDonald

1. What is your role in the store?
Retail Assistant, Bass Specialist but with a love of all the instruments we sell. Cleaning Nerd.

2. What styles of music are you into?
A lot. I try to stay open but I would have to say I love anything with a great pocket and hooky basslines. Funk, soul, jazz, hip hop, Afro beats, Latin - but I can also dig into Bach, Ska and punk.

3. Equipment you currently own?
Fender Flea Jazz Bass, Yamaha BB234 Bass, Fender Rumble 40 & Rumble 500 V3 (I love em), Fender Stratocaster,
MXR Bass Octave M288, MXR M81 Bass Preamp, Boss Dynamic Wah
 

4. Piece of gear or instrument you have previously owned… and wish you never sold?
Original 1960’s Epiphone Riviera

5. Favourite guitar?
I am really loving my Yamaha BB bass, I am ordering the BBP34 Pro - great instrument

6. Favourite effects pedal?
MXR Bass Octave

7. Where do you play at the moment?
Wherever original Indie bands are welcome with my band The Saltations. The Gypsy Tapas Bar in Fremantle have been awesome to us. We have played the Indie Bar in Scabs, The Rock Rover in Freo and The Broken Hill in Vic Park.

8. Who have you played with?
Lots of solo gigs on nylon string guitar in many wineries, pubs and hotels - especially in the Swan Valley. Bass with indie band Port Moore - but concentraIng all my efforts on my original band The Saltations.

9. When did you start playing?
Guitar in High School and turned my attention to bass around 10 years ago.

10. What is the best memory or gig you have played?
There’s been a few. An outdoor festival with Port Moore was pretty memorable as was a gig with those guys at the old Fly By Night. Recently The Saltations had an awesome night at The Indi Bar. Any time people are digging it (or not asking me to play Barnesy or Accadacca - no disrespect) - is a good gig.

11. Who do most look up to musically or who has influenced you the most so far?
Herbie Hancock is definitely my main influence - love his approach to it all. Motown and the great James Jamerson. You can’t play bass and not be somehow influenced by Jaco directly or indirectly. Currently loving a band called Vulfpeck and their amazing bass player Joe Dart. I think Anderson Paak is amazing - I love his stuff - also Kendrick Lamar, Bach and Stevie Wonder's left hand. Love great drummers like Anderson Paak and Mark Guiliana.

12. Best piece of advice you could give to other musicians?
Eat well and stay healthy. Good food equals healthy stomach which equals healthy brain. And exercise - the body needs movement which we can tend to forget about humped over our instruments for hours on end. Also don’t just focus in on players of your respective instrument. If you're a guitar player - check out other cats like horn players, Bird, Miles, Coltrane. The reason Larry Carlton is one of the most melodic rock guitarists you will hear is because he checked out this stuff.

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