Mark Maneja
SAU Students Turn Blank Kits into One-of-a-Kind Guitars
Students at Southern Arkansas University started with plain blank guitar kits, unshaped blocks of wood, and turned them into fully playable, one-of-a-kind electric guitars, each one a reflection of its builder's vision.
From bold custom shapes and hand-painted finishes to clean, classic builds, no two instruments are alike. What began as identical blocks of wood became a room full of guitars that are unmistakably personal, playable works of art that carry the creativity and dedication of every student who made them.
How These Guitars Came to Life
This project took place in the Department of Art & Design at Southern Arkansas University, where students worked through a complete creative process, from research and sketching to woodworking and final assembly, transforming blank DIY guitar kits into instruments entirely their own.
Every builder moved through the same five stages:
- 01 History & Research, studying the evolution of the electric guitar and the designs that shaped it.
- 02 Ideation & Design, sketching concepts and turning them into working plans.
- 03 Building, shaping bodies and necks with bandsaws, spindle sanders, rasps, and routers.
- 04 Finishing, sanding, sealing, staining, and painting each custom look.
- 05 Setup, wiring, installing hardware, and dialing in the action for real playability.
Meet the One-of-a-Kind Guitars
Each guitar reflects its maker's personal style and the skills they gained along the way, from bold custom shapes and carved artwork to hand-mixed finishes and hidden surprises. Meet the ten instruments and the students who built them.
“Mariposa”
Purple is Mercy’s favorite color and, in her words, she will always sparkle on, so she set out to build a sparkly purple butterfly guitar. She planned to use loose glitter over the paint, then fell for a color-shifting glitter spray paint and made that the star, piling loose glitter on top anyway for maximum shine. Unapologetically glam, it takes its name from Barbie Mariposa and her Butterfly Fairy Friends, and from the Spanish word for butterfly.
“Love”
Built as a gift for her older brother, Nikki’s LP Style inspired build shifts from blue to purple across the face, with gold-to-purple hand-painted accents in the Dremel-carved scrollwork and a walnut-stained, worn-look back. “Love” is carved into the headstock, the shorthand she and her brother use for “I love you”, and his initials, “B.J.,” are carved into the face.
“Iteration I”
Christian kept it classic and simple: a Les Paul–inspired body that celebrates the natural wood grain, sealed with a rich stain and an oil-and-wax finish. A last-minute gamble on an ogee router-bit edge became one of his favorite details. He named it “Iteration I” as the first in a series he hopes to keep building.
“Sebastian”
Harrison landed early on the shape he wanted, a standard body and headstock, and let a clean red-to-black burst finish do the talking. He’s proudest of how the body turned out, smoothed with a palm sander until there was nothing he’d change. The name? Just because he thought “Sebastian” was a funny name for a guitar.
“The Skelecaster”
Lex wanted something that stood out without straying too far from a ST-Style silhouette, and landed on a striking black-and-white scheme. A skull logo adorns the headstock, and the body’s round, angular, bony horns earned it the name “The Skelecaster,” a nod both to the artwork and to the model it started as.
“Deja”
Liz chose a Stratocaster for its iconic look, then made it personal: Japanese maple leaves carved with a Dremel flow across the body and headstock, based on a tree that stood in front of her childhood home. An ebony-stained neck meets a spray-painted ivory headstock. She named it “Deja” for the memories woven through every step of the build.
“San Francisco”
MyliePiper came in with no woodworking experience and left with a bright, cheery build, sunflowers carved into the body and headstock with a Dremel and hand-painted over a spray-painted blue base. The carving was her toughest challenge and, once finished, the first moment she felt good about her guitar. It’s a build that pushed her far outside her comfort zone.
“Twin Flame”
Joshlin’s build features a CNC-cut vector design across the lower body, vectors she made with help from classmate Maria Womack after learning about CNC machines in class. Dedicated to her brother, it carries a quote from him on the back, written in his own handwriting. She named it “Twin Flame” in honor of their relationship.
“Rosetta”
Skylar’s guitar is an homage to nature, finished with a color-changing backdrop she discovered by accident while experimenting with spray-paint gradients. Layered gloss-and-satin finishes give it a sleek look, and she let the wood grain show through the paint as a tribute to the tree it came from. It’s named for rock-and-roll pioneer Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
“Jubilee”
Maria’s guitar has a one-of-a-kind reversed Charvel Star shape, chosen for both comfort and the color-changing LED route hidden on the back. Rather than a bulky plastic pickguard, she designed a custom lion-shaped one over the ombre wood-stain body, a nod to Jesus, the Lion of Judah. She named it “Jubilee” (“Julie” for short) after the Old Testament celebration of freedom, forgiveness, and restoration, a season of thanks to God that drives the whole build.
The Electric Guitar Exhibit & Live Jam
When the builds were finished, the guitars left the studio and went on display at SAU's Electric Guitar Exhibit, each one on a stand beside the student's photos, sketches, and the story of how it came together. Friends, families, and neighbors moved down the tables, reading the placards and leaning in for a closer look at the finishes and shapes.
Then the night opened up. Out at the SAU pavilion, students, faculty, and community musicians plugged in for a live jam, the same handmade guitars now ringing out through the amps. As the sun dropped behind the trees, the crowd settled into their chairs (a few four-legged fans included) and the instruments finally got to do what they were built for.
Inside, students stepped up to the mic to introduce their instruments, from a candy-pink build wired with color-shifting LEDs to a glittering blue custom shape that turned heads all night. It was the payoff to a full semester of work: a room full of one-of-a-kind guitars, played out loud and celebrated by the people who watched them take shape.
The People Who Made It Possible
A project like this doesn't happen without the instructors who guide it and the people who support it behind the scenes. Add their names and roles below.
A special thank you to everyone who helped us cover this project, those who shared photos, updates, and encouragement throughout the semester. Add a personal note of thanks here.
A Celebration of Creativity and Craft
More than a showcase of finished guitars, this was a celebration of imagination, patience, and hands-on learning. From bold artistic statements to refined traditional builds, every instrument reflects the unique voice of its maker.
To every student who took a blank block of wood and turned it into something that plays and sings, your work is a reminder of what's possible when craft meets passion. We can't wait to see what you build next.