Southern California–based hard rock bass player with a tone rooted in modern and classic heavy rock. Rock solid groove from studio to stage. 30+ year ASCAP member with songwriting and publishing credits. Member of SAG-AFTRA. Reliable, consistent, focused, and easy to work with.
Available for live performance, recording, songwriting, and publishing work. My main instruments are Fender Precision basses paired with Ampeg heads and cabinets.
Contact me for bookings and availability.
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Interview with Glenn Mako
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Hard rock is my go-to style and it's what I normally play, but I listen to everything. Lately I've been taking a deep dive into Thievery Corporation. Love them! Great bass grooves.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: For me, it's important to be easygoing, friendly, reliable, consistent, a good communicator, and generally pleasant to be around. Especially when you're working and traveling with people. I try to focus on being all those things. Is that a skill?
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I like to take direction from whoever I'm working for and service the songs to match their expectations. Sometimes that means attacking material in different ways like using a pick, or playing with my fingers. Sometimes they'll ask for a little more dirt on my tone, and sometimes a little less. Those are the things that stick out most.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: First I'll immerse myself in the material by ear. Next I'll work to lock in my parts with the drums until the groove feels bulletproof. I do that by loading tracks into my DAW and recording along. Then I'll work with my live rig to match or create a mix-ready low end that works best live. I have a lot of success working with a SansAmp Bass Driver. I pretty much use it for everything! It's great as a pre-amp or for going direct to FOH, if I'm using in-ears.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: My #1 bass is a USA Fender P-Bass with V-MOD pickups, and I lean heavily on Ampeg rigs. I'm not an Ampeg artist, but I'd like to be! My home studio runs on mac, and I track in REAPER, most often with the Ampeg SVT Suite plug-in.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: From a tone and groove standpoint, I draw a lot from top-shelf players like Nate Mendel of the Foo Fighters for rock-solid pocket, and Justin Chancellor of Tool for depth and weight in heavy rock production. On the live performance and touring side, I like the drive and consistency of Robert DeLeo from STP, and the melodic but heavy approach of Ben Shepherd from Soundgarden.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: The most common type of work I do is live bass performance, with a focus on playing for high-energy hard rock bands.
I was the Bassist in this production
- Bass ElectricAverage price - $150 per song
Session work from $150/song includes bass tracking, 2 revision passes, WAV delivery, portfolio use, and reliable communication.
- Foo Fighters
- Stone Temple Pilots
- Rival Sons
- Fender Precision & Ampeg
