CLIFFORD ESSEX MUSIC CO. LTD

The Home of the Banjo, Mandolin, Guitar and Kindred Instruments

PUERTO RICAN CUATRO

MEDIUM GAUGE

OCTAVE STRUNG 10 – 40

TUNED bB. eE. AA. DD. GG

 2x 1st - .010" Plain Steel

2x 2nd - .013" Plain Steel

2 x 3rd - .022" Nickel or Phosphor Bronze Wound

4th - .013" Plain Steel

4th - .028” Nickel or Phosphor Bronze Wound

5th - .020" Nickel or Phosphor Bronze Wound

5th - .040" Nickel or Phosphor Bronze Wound

BALL OR LOOP-ENDS

The cuatro belongs to the guitar family, and its shape has evolved over the ages into the current aviolinado design, which is very much like that of the ancient bowed instrument, the viol. Tuning is a little unusual in that the two bottom pairs are in octaves and the top three pairs in unison, giving the instrument a rather lovely jangly sound which sits somewhere between that of a 12-string guitar and a harpsichord. The cuatro is tuned (from 5th pair to 1st pair) in fourths:  bB, eE, AA, DD, GG.  The joy of this is that a guitarist can pick it up and immediately create something tuneful, because the bottom four pairs follow the same tuning sequence as the bottom four strings of a guitar, only a fifth higher. Bass guitar players, too, should have no problems in adapting to the cuatro.

Postage to UK Destinations: FREE   

European and International Orders (Royal Mail International Standard, Airmail): £5.00 for any amount of string sets. If required, it is the responsibility of the customer to pay any taxes or import duties for customs clearance.

Purchase 3 sets for a 10% discount