Paracho Elite Guitars Santiago Puerto Rican Cuatro T165742

Cuatros, A unique instrument from Puerto Rico. The Cuatro is 'violin-shaped', more rounded like a guitar but with points at the inner bouts like a violin. The bridge is a classic guitar type, but the instrument is steel string. It is played with a flat pick and sounds like a cross between a 12-string guitar and a mandolin. Belonging to the 'lute' family, this instrument's graceful baroque body has been revered for decades as the national instrument of Puerto Rico. It has 10 strings in 5 courses. It is tuned from low to high B-E-A-D-G, with the B and E in octaves and A-D-G tuned in unison. Paracho artisans have been perfecting their craft for over 200 years.