Anyone who has ever been transported to some sort of an ethereal realm after listening to a particular guitar solo or riff will understand the kind of power the instrument can hold over the human consciousness. Take Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits. The outro in the song is so intricately choppy, and so lightning quick, that it almost sounded like magic to us when we first heard it at the age of 15.

So, imagine our surprise when a few days later, the friend who had made us listen to the track told us that the solo is actually quite simple to pick up, and then played it live for us to prove his point. We understood then that, yes, the sound of a guitar can have an otherworldly quality. But, you don't need to be a magician to play it. And April being International Guitar Month, we give you a lowdown on the best places in the city to buy the instrument, and two of the best people to learn it from.