Martin DCPA4 Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar 

Comments about Martin DCPA4 Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar:

I've the DCPA4 for a couple weeks now and cannot put it down. This has been my first endeavor into the american made all wood type of guitar and I'm not sorry for shelling out the extra cash. This guitar looks and sounds great. Puts my Ibanez to shame now that I can compare them side by side. The guitar was even in tune (mostly) right out of the box. Just picked it up and started jamming. I hear a lot about Martin quality, but now I believe it. Can't find one flaw in the build. I look forward to the fresh cut wood smell every time I open the case.

The only negative I've found so far is that the tuner can be slightly off. Not a big deal to me because I'm in the habit of clipping on my Snark anyway. Electronics on board sound awesome. I play through a vintage tube amp, and the sound is warm and rich, very representative of the unplugged sound of the guitar.

I am worried about the durability of the satin finish long term. It doesn't resist moisture or scratches the way gloss does. When I play in a sitting position the guitar seems to suck some of the moisture from my leg. I guess you burn more calories playing standing up though :)

The action out of the box might be a little high for people playing in the higher registers, but I do mostly aggressive rhythmic strumming and softer capo stuff so it works for me.

All in all, I think you will be extremely happy if you pick up this guitar. Glad I did.

Comments about Martin DCPA4 Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar:

A great guitar right out of the box and a super deal from MF! Action is great...the neck is superb, especially for those of us who play electric most of the time. The electronics don't feedback and sound very classy. You can't go wrong with a Martin.

Comments about Martin DCPA4 Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar:

if you like a wide neck and high action this is for you, the saddle of course can be sanded down some to lower the string height. It comes with a nice case of course and is made in usa. It does sound good and for the price is a good deal to get a guitar built in america. If you are looking for american made i would recomend this

Comments about Martin DCPA4 Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar:

Love it. I have a 1977 Ovation which I also love but this guitar has a deeper sound. Played for 4 hours when I first got it and every night for a week thereafter. No regrets.

Comments about Martin DCPA4 Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar:

I have always liked Martin guitars. I like to play bluegrass and old country songs and this guitar is perfect for my style of music.
The built in tuner is simple to use and the electronics are super good. Overall, an excellent guitar.

Comments about Martin DCPA4 Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar:

I'll give this guitar a 9 because of the plain-jane looks and the synthetic fret board, but that's probably not fair given the price point, which is the bargin of the century for this instrument. The sapele back and sides sounds very close to mahogany, giving big strums a light, airy musicality. The only thing I'd change is to dump the trendy off-set fretboard markers and put them where they are the most functional for an intermediate level picker like myself, which is the target market for this instrument. The fact that this guitar was produced by American luthiers and craftsmen in Nazareth, PA made me feel good about the purchase as well. Gotta reward American companies that still produce quality instruments here, and I didn't have to mortgage the house to buy that signature Martin tone that I've be craving.
I've been in the market to upgrade from my Alvarez, so I've camped at my local big box guitar store for months playing everything from Yamaha, Gibson, Taylor, Ovation and Epiphone. I've always loved Martin's; I spent a month with a buddy's D18 years ago, and I've had that tone in my head for years, but never thought I could afford one. This one had the feature's I was looking for: solid woods, dreadnaught body with cutaway, built-in electronics and a playable neck with decent action AND I was on a strict budget.
Build, fit and finish seems flawless on mine.
It came down to this guitar and a similar Taylor, which cost about $600 more for a solid wood/premium acoustic/electric. I loved the Taylor, which was visually more striking. But I think the Performance Artist neck profile is the most comfortable player for my hand size of all the guitars I tried, at any price. And I think the Fishman electronics rival the Taylor Expression System when played amplified. And the Martin had the built in tuner, which the Taylor did not.

Comments about Martin DCPA4 Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar:

To recap: the Martin DCPA4 is a very well made guitar, fit and finish is excellent, both action and tone... excellent! While there will always be more expensive (and sometimes better) guitars available, the Martin DCPA4 has the best "bang for the buck" out there and I highly reccomend it.
The two features which standout as relevant to be reviewed IMO are as follows: the neck, in this case slightly narrower and more paralell than is typical for an acoustic guitar (dreadnought) which results in a significantly more comfortable hand/wrist position (while playing) and the instument's tone, which when compared to similarly priced competitors instruments (that tend to be a bit bright) is rich, even and balanced.
This instrument (as befits C.F. Martin's reputation) is very well made. Fit and finish is excellent! A very close scrutiny of the instrument has revealed "not a single flaw". The instrument set-up/action is spot on... it has low, comfortable action (even from the perspective of an electric guitarist) and not a single buzz or dead spot.
Value is a highly subjective term. So to avoid the obvious pitfalls of that subjectivity, I will say this only... given C.F. Martins long history of producing excellent instruments, the likelyhood is that any instrument made by them will be worth significantly more later than when it was purchased. As a cost/benifit analysis suggest's, this is a high value investment.

Comments about Martin DCPA4 Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar:

I didn't like the height of the guitar strings as they were set from the factory. I like a lower setting. When the bridge piece was lowered by our local Martin tech, the action was EASY.
If it were up to me, I would have an acoustic/electric with an electric guitar neck, but since that's impossible, I'll take this guitar because it has a very slim neck.
This is quality if I've ever heard it. The sound is a beautiful deep, rich tone and the sustainabily is amazing. The sound seems to go on forever.
The value of this guitar is great. I don't regret spending what I did for this awesome guitar.

Comments about Martin DCPA4 Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar:

Good price for the mony
I play Hawaiian Slack Key which is mosly finger picking and Ive tried other guitars about the same price and the Martin did feel a bit better . I go by how it feels in my hands while playling it!
W/ out elect it sounds like a true Dreadnought. and with Electric its has plenty of left over!
Nothing missing all put to gether completed
Improvement from the last Martin I owned

Comments about Martin DCPA4 Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar:

Probably won't be buying another guitar. This is it!
excellent guitar. Great tone and plays like a dream.
great tone
price was right