JACKS MUSICABLE 'Alright Jacks' Guitar Lead (G.L. Range) 16'3" lead. RRP £8.80.

High quality instrument leads are essential — there's no point in sounding as good as an Angus Young or Eddie van Halen if, halfway through your solo, everything starts to go crackle, rasp, fizzle, pop... silence. Instrument leads matter like no other item of low cost gear.

Enter a company called Musicable, whose 'Alright Jacks' range includes the JL series (high capacitance, low noise cables with nickel plated metal covered Jacks) through the GL range (similar, but with solid brass plugs), mike to jack leads (with genuine Neutrik XLR connectors at one end, nickel-plated brass jacks at the other), SL range speaker leads (six amp PVC sheathed low-loss cable with nickel plated brass jacks) plus 'Multi-Link' pro standard studio and P.A. leads. We sampled a GL range guitar lead. It was surprisingly flexible for a low-loss high quality cable (essential, of course, for guitar use) and terminated in two really hefty brass jack plugs. Inside these were a screw thread, to grip the cable, plus a clamp which fastens the cable to the plug by biting (but not too strongly) into the PVC sheathing. We put our sample through a torture chamber test — stamped on it, wound it into tight coils, exposed it to interference — did just about everything short of set fire to it and it worked beautifully! For the price (£8.80 inc. VAT for a 5 metre — I6' 3" — lead) the value is excellent for the quality offered — ditto the 7.5 metre — 24' 6" — version, which sells for just £10.90. Rather than use grotty Hong Kong instrument leads, the U.K.-made Musicable range looks like a much better buy.

Currently only a few retailers sell them (including Andy's in London's Denmark St., Thames Valley Guitars, at 49, Belmont Road, Uxbridge, and Chandler Guitars, at 199 Sandycombe Road, Kew) but you can also buy them direct. We'd recommend them wholeheartedly, judging by our sample. Further details from Musicable at (Contact Details).