Exclusive words and pics

Duran man Andy Taylor gives Chris Maillard a Station announcement

Thomas Dolby is back after a four year break, without the mad professor image but with an excellent new album in Astronauts & Heretics, his most personal recording to date. Paul Tingen spoke to him about the long road from solo synthesist to globe-trotting collaborator.

The blurred fingers of the guitar star focussed by the blurred gaze of Richard Walmsley

A chorus line or two

Stringists Darby and Marlon reveal new models

The Roth-less band with a Hagar at the helm. Michael Smolen meets the headman

shrugs and knock 'n' knowall

Wrenched from video filming (with a ballerina no less) and quizzed on gear and blushes.

Talks guitars, amps and playing to Tony Bacon

An interview with Rusty Egan

Dan Goldstein tracks down another drummer-turned-musical technofreak, Rusty Egan, and finds out about the past, present, and the future of the electro-dance band he helped found, Visage.

Allan Holdsworth - Life in the New World

What have David Bowie, Laurie Anderson, King Crimson, Frank Zappa and Jean-Michel Jarre got in common? They've all employed the services of Adrian Belew, one of the world's most inventive guitarists, and a man with a passion for creating new sound textures.

His time with Rainbow, Whitesnake and Ozzy Osbourne has made Don Airey a rock institution (rather than putting him in one). Tim Goodyer talks to him about music and machinery.

Tech Talk

The inventor of the curious Electric Stick recently left his native America to promote the latest MIDI-equipped version of his brainchild. Tim Goodyer caught him Stick-in-hand for a talk about his invention and his vision of its future.

Paul Bliss — Star Fleet Command

True Blue Guitar Meets Skinny Bass

Alright Jacks Guitar Lead

Leading Us Astray.... Alright Jacks Guitar Lead

Britain's biggest, busiest and noisiest music fair is over for another year. So what did we get for our money and our aching feet? Report by Simon Trask.

Sounds, samples, & software upgrades for the modern studio

New software, updates, sounds, and samples

A cornucopia of new ideas

N.A.M.M. Winter Market at Anaheim

A special guitar report from the N.A.M.M. show

JHS Tubeman

Guitar DI/Preamp with wider applications

Drumcheck

Bob Henrit draws a line between the Maxwin and the Professional and finds a good-looking, clean-sounding kit