What began as a block of wood ended with a rock concert—complete with Southern Arkansas University President Dr. Bruno Hicks on lead guitar. It was the finale of a new Honors Program course, Electric Guitar Building, offered for the first time in the spring 2025 semester.
Students in the course started with a raw guitar kit—just a block of wood, two feet long, one and a half feet wide, and two inches thick, plus a pre-cut neck joint. By semester’s end, each student had created a fully functional electric guitar from scratch and shared their work in a public showcase and concert held in the Brinson Fine Arts Gallery.
The course was the brainchild of Nathan Lambert, assistant professor of art and design. A lifelong woodworker and musician, Lambert said the idea brought together two of his biggest passions. “My dad was a really good carpenter,” he said. “I took woodshop in high school and really loved it.” Over the years, he built five guitars of his own and saw an opportunity to create a course that combined woodworking, design, and music.
“SAU was looking for a new class idea for the Honors Program, and I wrote up a proposal,” said Lambert. “I didn’t think the class would make. We had 10 slots originally, but then there was a waiting list of students wanting to take it.”
Honors students from across a variety of majors signed up, bringing different perspectives and skillsets to the course. Early in the semester, students learned about the history of the electric guitar and studied famous guitar designs before beginning work on their own.
Lambert emphasized the importance of design thinking, encouraging students to “begin with the end in mind.” Each student sketched thumbnail concepts, then enlarged their designs to full size on paper. These patterns were transferred to the wood blocks to begin the cutting and shaping process.
For that part, Lambert enlisted the help of Jeff Sumner, machinist and laboratory technician in SAU’s Department of Engineering and Physics. “Jeff was extremely helpful,” said Lambert. “He walked the students through each part of the woodworking process and helped bring their visions to life.”
Throughout the course, students embraced the creative side of the project. Many named their guitars; one student chose the name Icarus, referencing the mythological figure who flew too close to the sun. Her design featured gold trim and feathers.
In the final weeks of the semester, students installed electronics into their guitars, including basic soldering—an entirely new skill for most. “It was the first time for many of them to work with soldering,” Lambert said.
The course culminated on the Monday of finals week with a public concert and gallery show. Each student shared the story behind their guitar’s design before a local group of musicians—including Brian Logan, assistant professor of economics—performed using the student-built guitars. The evening’s highlight came when Dr. Hicks joined the group and played lead guitar for one of the songs.
Lambert hopes the class will become a recurring opportunity in the Honors Program. “It was a really cool blending of design and woodworking,” he said. “The students really enjoyed the course.”
