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Cuatro Maker Crafts Sound Instruments

From carefully selecting the wood, to adding the strings, cuatro maker Freddy Burgos makes sure that his artistic skill is reflected in each piece he makes.

By Andrea Castillo
Latino Reporter

Freddy Burgos pays great attention to detail for every cuatro he makes. After all, he is a man who has managed to make his life’s work from his life’s passion.

On the bottom floor of his home, built into the side of a Guaynabo mountain, is the workshop where he creates the carefully-crafted wooden instrument. It is a wide space guarded by a white metal gate, full of power tools, and a hanging row of stringed instruments. Many are unfinished, while others await repairs.

Burgos is among the island’s most prominent makers of the cuatro, a ten-string guitar-like instrument native to Puerto Rico. It is commonly used in traditional and folk music.

On the back porch of Burgos’ house are blocks of wood and a drill where he spends hours many working. The porch faces a lush, jungle-like landscape, with the constant sounds of coquis and roosters crowing in the distance.

From carefully selecting the wood, most commonly laurel, for the instrument, to crafting the bridge and adding the strings, Burgos makes sure that his artistic skill is reflected in each piece he makes. As well as focusing on its aesthetic finish, each cuatro is tuned meticulously for musical quality.

“Tuning the instrument is very critical for the musician. It can be beautiful, but if the octaves aren’t tuned with precision, it is an instrument that does not have much value for the professional musician,” Burgos said. “Its beauty has a lot to do with it, but in the end, the musician looks for, above all, fine tuning, and I worry about that a lot.”

Burgos’ interest in making cuatros has roots in his childhood, when he learned to play the instrument. He made his first one when he was a boy. But after his brother broke that instrument, Burgos said he lost interest in the craft.

He then spent years working as a cabinet-maker, until he went shopping for a cuatro in 2005 and a meeting with a cuatro-maker reawakened his interest. At that point, Burgos started making his own cuatros in a workshop in his home.

“It wasn’t until four years ago that I started doing it again, and thanks to God, I’ve been successful,” Burgos said.

Since making that decision, he has had great success practicing his craft, having made cuatros for well-known Puerto Rican musicians such as Christian Nieves, Pedro Guzman, Maribel Delgado and Quique Domenech.

“To reach a point where professional musicians have accepted me in such a short time, without a doubt, has been the most memorable part of this,” Burgos said.

Burgos said his love of the instrument stems from a blend of national pride and enthusiasm for the music.

“Our music, ‘criolla’ music, fascinates me. The cuatro is our national instrument, with which said music is played,” he said. “My passion for the cuatro comes because it is very melodic, as well as having a sweet sound.”

In addition to making traditional cuatros, Burgos has developed his own instrument, the “cuatro dinamico,” modeled after the electric guitar, to appeal to younger musicians who are drawn to playing rock. The new instrument has been somewhat controversial, he said, receiving both praise and criticism.

However, a number of prominent musicians, such as Maribel Delgado and Pedro Guzman have “cuatros dinamicos” of their own.

“There aren’t many [who own them], but they are in the hands of some excellent musicians,” he said.

While the traditional cuatro has been included in a number of musical genres, including jazz, rock and salsa, Burgos would like to see people be more open to becoming more musically innovative with the cuatro.

“The instrument must be allowed to evolve so it can reach other people, other outside sectors who can appreciate it,” he said. “It has evolved quite a bit, and I hope that it will continue that way.”