The letters page that bites back

Rumbles from the music biz jungle

Pete Gleadall runs up a transatlantic phone bill waiting for hip-hop whizzkid Mantronik to finish his hamburger and explain why the TR808 is still his favourite drum machine.

Paul 'No fuelling' Henderson gets the lowdown on this high-octane act

Phil Walsh solves all your lead connection problems at once with his handy multi-way junction box. What a clever boy he is!

Are The Cult hippies? Do they like guitar solos? Do they know what other people think of them, and do they care? Chris Maillard has the answers....

Billy Punter dons naval drag and trolls down to Fleet, home of Kingfisher Music

The original Mr. Electrify in a very, er, um.. frank interview about Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' roll — the first time round, Iain Blair spares no blushes

In the second of an occasional series, Bass takes a look at his favourite five synth classics

Paul Trynka, that's what, on why little amps are sometimes louder than big ones

Breaking American, expensive recordings and living with your own history — Paul Trynka swaps top hats and tall tales with Furs guitarist John Ashton

Tony Mills uncovers some software for—guitarists! Whatever will they think or next?

One day, all PA columns will be like this... Jim Betteridge checks out Simple Minds' little bash at the Milton Keynes Bowl

Tony Hastings and Paul Trynka assess the latest entrant into the increasingly competitive sampled piano stakes

Bob Henrit encounters the latest black box from Uncle Dave — a dedicated drum voice expander for electronic drum kits

Dave Burrluck is pleasantly surprised by yet another pair of Japanese clones

Russell Webb is bowled over by Electrovoice's brilliant, but not cheap, three-way speaker system

Two little boxes to let your MIDI gear do more than you ever thought possible — Curtis Schwartz reports

Bob Henrit back again with a look at a value-for-money range of Italian cymbals

Who knows how good a MIDI add-on for your guitar can be? The Shadow knows, as Paul Trynka finds out....

A Japanese bass with an American background on sale in Britain. Confused? You won't be, as Dave Burrluck explains the whole thing...

This month, we've devoted all of our news pages to two special show reports; from Chicago's NAMM fest, and London's APRS — the products which'll be making next year's news...