What could be more natural than Indiana Guitars being donated from an Indiana company to an Indiana college that will then be sent on a trek across the ocean to the Indiana college’s British campus?

That’s what Guy Petty, of SHS International, a music company from Indianapolis, thought too. When he received a call from Elizabeth Rosborough, a UE student now studying at Harlaxton College — UE’s British campus — he was intrigued by her plight. Rosborough, a marketing major and cheerleader for the Purple Aces, thought Harlaxton’s guitars had seen a lot of wear and tear and were in need of being replaced. Her father, John, owns Sound of Music, a music store in Kokomo, Ind. When she asked him about the guitars that were needed at Harlaxton, he suggested she contact one of his suppliers – Guy Petty.

Petty, who had done business for years with Sound of Music, had not known that Rosborough’s daughter was a cheerleader for the same school that his son – Justin Petty – played college basketball for – the University of Evansville’s Purple Aces.

“Sound of Music has been one of my best accounts, and we had done business for a long time – but never talked about where our kids went to school,” Petty said. “UE has been very good to Justin both academically and athletically, so this is the least I can do.”

Petty donated six acoustic Indiana Guitar Co. guitars to UE’s Earl Kirk, director of study abroad, on Saturday, Feb. 5. Kirk, who was very pleased with the gift, said the guitars would be sent to Harlaxton College for student’s use there.

Petty said this is the brand of guitar that Indiana’s own, rocker John Mellencamp signs for the leukemia fundraiser done by Indianapolis classic rock station Q95. The Indiana Guitar Co. names its guitars after towns in Indiana. For instance, Petty said, there is the Tell City guitar, the Madison guitar and the Remington guitar, all small towns in the state.

Maybe next will be the Evansville guitar?

See our guide to The Best College Guitar Programs in America