"I ask each musician I make a cuatro for whether they want the instrument to sound with more bass or with a higher pitch," says Matos, "I then make it to their specifications."

Diomedes Matos has made cuatros for Paul Simon and the Puerto Rican musician Yomo Toro among others. He says, "What really inspired me was a cuatro maker named Roque Navarro. I used to walk from my house to school every day, and on the way I'd see Mr. Navarro working on guitars and cuatros in his workshop. One day, when I was about 10 years old, I was watching him from the fence in front of his house and he invited me in and showed me what he was doing. I knew from that first visit that's what I wanted to do."

For many years, Diomedes worked as a carpenter, making instruments and performing during off hours. He has had many apprentices, teaching each one the skills needed to make the cuatro. Diomedes now lives in Florida, but he remains active in New Jersey's Puerto Rican community.