the real thing (a Paul Reed Smith) and its acolytes (from Hohner and Washburn), Jon Lewin attempts to explain the £1000 price difference.

The The's Matt Johnson talks about production, outwitting the lawyers... and hillbilly blues

Elka EK-44 Programmable Digital Synthesiser

The words "Stock, Aitken & Waterman" have adorned 50 hit singles in the last two years. Tim Goodyer finds there are two secrets to their success: determination and new technology.

Pressing Records

Paul Gilby visits SRT Records & Tapes to unearth the 'inside views' of its managing director David Richardson, whose profound words shatter some of the illusions and myths that surround the record manufacturing industry.

Putting Heaven 17 in the past, Martyn Ware has masterminded a definitive meeting of classic singers, classic soul songs and state-of-the-art technology. Tim Goodyer listens to Words of Quality and Distinction.

Roger Glover talks purple, production and power

Glover on the Cover — Rainbow man talks Bass

Part two considers arrangements: getting right all the instruments order in the.

Dave Stewart On Going It Alone In The Music Biz

The major record company route is not the only one to musical success. Dave Stewart has successfully avoided the majors and still manages to make a good living from his home-produced music. Here, he charts his musical history.

...multitracking at home, that is. Bob Clifford, he of the Frog, introduces us to the many ways of doing much with little.

How it was done in the heyday of Pop - Philip Bashe tracked down the bands your dad snogged along to and found out the history of the '60s hits

From his formative days experimenting with Torchsong, William Orbit has made good through his remixes and a new outfit called Bass-o-matic. Tim Goodyer watches time catch up with a techno-prophet.

Another viewpoint on the murky world of the music business.

guitar boss shows how to steal licks from Buddy Holly, Scotty Moore, Les Paul, Jimi Hendrix, Hank Marvin and Roger McGuinn

In the first of a series, Fred Dellar looks at the chequered career of Gus Dudgeon.

The new videola music and video format is taking music video into the next decade. T-Cut K talks to one of the genre's most technology-conscious acts about the medium and the message.

The World's Best Songwriters

four stars choose their favourite songsters - Fish, Vince Clarke, Edwyn Collins, Chris Difford

White Eat, white light, and what gear from the Wobbly Ones.

Keyboard player to Rainbow, Black Sabbath and now Ozzy Osbourne, Don talks to Tim Oakes about his keyboards, how to Bark At The Moon, and life on the road with a werewolf...

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

From the profound to the downright silly, we wind up a year's chit-chat