Juan Alderete

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Juan Alderete performing with The Mars Volta
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Juan Alderete performing with The Mars Volta

Juan Alderete (born September 5, 1963) is an American bassist known for his work with the band Racer X, where he is credited as John Alderete. Although he is still with Racer X, Juan currently dedicates most of his time to the band, The Mars Volta, which also brings him much recognition.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Juan Alderete was born in Los Angeles, CA to a family of Hispanic heritage. He began to build interest in playing music when he was a teenager, although he has been exposed to it for almost his entire life; his father, although not a musician, was a big fan of jazz music, and often played it around the Alderete household. He also recalls listening to his brother's rock albums as he was growing up. He started learning the basics of the bass guitar when he was 16, and was influenced by such players as Jaco Pastorius, Geddy Lee, and Stanley Clarke. Apparently, his fascination with the bass guitar revolved around it being a somewhat "underappreciated" instrument at the time.

After high school, Juan enrolled in a college named Musicians Institute in Hollywood (Los Angeles, CA). He enjoyed his time in the school, explaining that he was able to learn techniques and styles that he had never even considered prior to his enrollment. Also during this time, he met a younger guitar player named Paul Gilbert, and the two quickly joined forces to form Racer X.

However, four years afterwards, Paul Gilbert left Racer X to form the band Mr. Big. The remaining members of Racer X decided to stay active in music, although they went their separate ways. For the next ten years, Juan would be involved in several different bands (including The Scream, Big Sir, and Distortion Felix) as well as becoming an instructor at Musicians Institute. Not long after, he released his first instructional video on bass techniques and modulation.

Although Extreme Volume II: Live was released in 1992, Racer X was not actually reunited. That year, Paul Gilbert was touring with Mr. Big, and Juan was recording with a hard rock band called The Scream. In actuality, the album was just a compilation of songs that were recorded in concerts before the hiatus. However, around 1999, Juan got a telephone call from Paul Gilbert, who asked if there was any possibility of recording another Racer X album. Juan agreed, and Racer X reunited to record Technical Difficulties, which features new material as well as older songs that were never recorded.

In 2003, Alderete joined The Mars Volta and later recorded Frances The Mute in 2004. The band has brought him a considerable amount of recognition: since joining the band, he has played at Madison Square Garden and was featured on the front cover of the March, 2005 issue of Bass Player Magazine.

He currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Anne.

[edit] Forming Racer X in 1985

Juan and Paul Gilbert, who were two students of Musicians Institute, started their musical relationship during an audition that Paul held to find a drummer. Juan showed up at the audition, bringing a drum-playing friend named Bill. Although Bill was turned down for the part, Paul was impressed with Juan's bass playing; the two quickly sought to form a speed metal band that would incorporate Paul's guitar shredding techniques with Juan's solid bass lines. To complete the band, Harry Gschoesser joined to fill the drummer position, and Jeff Martin became the vocalist; the group named themselves Racer X (a title that Bill had suggested). With this lineup, the band released their debut album, Street Lethal, in 1986. Juan has been recording with Racer X ever since (note: there was a ten-year hiatus starting from 1989), and their latest album was released in 2002, titled Getting Heavier. Juan is credited as John Alderete on all Racer X albums.

[edit] Technique and Equipment

Juan Alderete's Equipment as of 2005:

Basses

  • 1971 Fretless Fender Precision Bass
  • 1973 Fender Precision Bass
  • 1977 Fender Jazz Bass
  • 1986 Fender Jazz bass

Amplifiers

  • Mid-'70s Ampeg SVT Amplifier
  • Early '70s Acoustic 360 preamp and folded 18" cabinet

Influenced by players like Jaco Pastorius, Juan's main playing technique is to use the "standard" fingers to pluck the strings with his right hand (two fingers: index and middle). He will occasionally use Dunlop Gel picks, as well as his signature picks. He is also known to use two-handed tapping techniques and even slapping/popping.

For equipment, Juan almost exclusively uses vintage Fender basses - in particular, the Precision and Jazz Bass models. As mentioned above, Alderete uses picks manufactured by Dunlop. He also uses effects pedals by Dunlop, Ernie Ball, BOSS, Digitech, Electro-Harmonix, Line 6, Moog, Mu-Tron, Sovtek, Fulltone and MXR; as well as amplifiers made by SWR and Ampeg.

In late 2006, Fender will be releasing a Juan Alderete Signature Series bass made by the Fender Custom shop. The bass will feature the following:

  • Fender Jazz body
  • Fender Jazz 1964 re-issue rosewood fretboard neck
  • Hipshot Vintage tuning keys
  • Hipshot Dtuner
  • Hipshot Ultralight bridge
  • Fender Stack Pot volume/tone pots. (Passive)
  • Black body with a red tortoise shell pickguard.
  • Dual Dark Star pickups.

[edit] Discography

[edit] With Racer X

[edit] With The Scream

[edit] With Distortion Felix

  • Record (1999)
  • I'm An Athlete (1999)

[edit] With Big Sir

[edit] With The Mars Volta

[edit] With Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Quintet

[edit] External links

The Mars Volta
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez | Cedric Bixler-Zavala

Isaiah Ikey Owens | Juan Alderete de la Pena | Deantoni Parks | Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez | Adrian Terrazas-Gonzales | Pablo Hinojos-Gonzalez
Former members
Eva Gardner | Jeremy Ward | Jon Theodore
Discography
Albums: De-Loused in the Comatorium | Frances the Mute | Scabdates | A Missing Chromosome | Amputechture
Extended plays: | Tremulant EP | Live EP
Singles: "Inertiatic ESP" | "Televators" | "The Widow" | "L'Via L'Viaquez" | "Viscera Eyes"
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