Cuatro

José makes his cuatros using the traditional enterizo manner, where the neck and sound box are hollowed and carved out of a large, thick plank of the highest-grade mahogany. He selects the soundboards from the best-grade spruce, and the fingerboards from ebony, a wood found only on the highest quality string instruments. ​​​​​​​​José strings and adjusts his instruments using special techniques that are unique to his cuatros. 

​​​​​​​​He uses many modern power tools and devices, as well as traditional hand tools, clamps and implements that he made himself.  The ​​​​​​​​José Dolores Rivera cuatro stands out among others as he applies numerous technical enhancements, while retaining the traditional and much-loved sound of the typical Puerto Rican cuatro.

For the demands of professional musicians, ​​José makes a modern electrically-amplified cuatro that uses state-of-the-art transducing equipment.