Martin DCPA4 Rosewood Performing Artist Acoustic-Electric Guitar (with Case)

Crafted from solid spruce and solid rosewood with transparent-sounding Fishman F1 Analog electronics onboard, the Martin DCPA4 is ready to take the stage.

Overall User Ratings (based on 20 ratings)
  • Overall:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Sound:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Features:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Ease of Use:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Quality:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Value:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Manufacturer Support:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • The Wow Factor:
    5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(20) (see rating details)
Submitted October 28, 2013 by John Fischer in Rockwall, TX

"Guitar Romance"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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This was my first purchase from ZZounds but will not be my last. I have never really been much of an acoustic player but my wedding band keeps getting asked to provide acoustic music for ceremonies. In the past I have borrowed guitars to do this but found most of them difficult to play. Having recently purchased a high end Gibson electric and realizing the differences between it and my mexican strats, I decided to buy my own Martin acoustic guitar. First, I want to say the purchase experience from ZZounds is top notch. Love the web site, love the ability to make the payments from the website as well... I always make all my payments before due dates (timed with pay checks) and I will be able to do this easily. Now the main thing... The guitar... I know it is not a top dollar Martin, but that said it is a high end acoustic. It has a beautiful tone and it plays absolutely fantastic. The electronics are completely transparent. I love it. I am IN love with it! The guitar arrived without a single scratch, dent, blemish or finger print on it! When I took it out of the EXCELLENT case it came with it was still in perfect tune from the factory. I was on the fence about whether or not to get a similarly priced Taylor but at the end of the day nightmares I have heard about Taylor's electronics did me in... I am a VERY happy customer and I hope you guys and girls trying to decide what to buy will consider my review as honest and factual because it is just that!

Musical Background:

Professional, 35+ years playing (25 professionally)... Guitarist, vocalist, pianist, Gigolo

Musical Style:

Rock, Pop, Country, Electronic, Hip-hop, just about all main streams styles...
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Submitted November 9, 2012 by Steve D in Lakewood, OH

"Amazing guitar"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Well I didn't buy this guitar from here but I had to leavea review because this guitar just plain rocks. I couldn't be more happy with it. I have the rosewood back and side edition and I must say the sound is to die for. It sounds really crisp warm and clean unplugged and when you plug it in WOW. Now I'm sure it doesn't sound as good plugged in as say the fishman aura but this thing smokes my infinity matrix pickup I have that is also made by fishman. It doesn't sound tinny or chintzy like all the other Taylor's I tried out before I bought this one. I highly recommend you at lesst try this guitar before you spend 5-600$ more for another higher end one. This thing is all that and more.

Musical Background:

5 years, jam at home.

Musical Style:

Pretty much everything
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Submitted May 21, 2012 by Kino Medina in Anchorage, AK

"Amazing Guitar Overall"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I had 3 Martin Guitars, DC15E, DC1E, and HD16R LSH. They all had different sounds but I loved the sound of HD16R LSH the most. Not until I got my DCPA4 Rosewood. It has a balanced sound with a slightly dominant bass which I loved. I am into warm sounding guitars, but when I tried this I really liked the way it sounded with the combination of warm and crispness of the sound. It's very versatile. You fingerpick/strum it softly, then you get a really warm sound. You rock it, then you get a really crisp sound coming from the bass/trebles. The body was perfect and lightweight. Glossy top is gorgeous. The only thing I wish it had was glossy sides and back just like my HD16. But of course, that might mean paying more. So I will settle with Satin. I tried it plugged in and it's amazing! My band loved it too when they heard it! The controls are so easy to use and very straighforward and not as complicated as I've seen on other guitars. Gotta love the built in tuner too. And lastly, the performance artist's neck profile is the best neck I have tried after playing guitars for 23 years... personally. It's fast, smooth, and if you finger pick a lot, this is so easy to use. The bridge string distance is the key here and the neck profile combined. I am so glad I switched to this guitar and for almost half the price of what I had! Zzounds gave me the best price online and they just didn't match it, they BEAT IT!!! By an amount I coudln't resist. Got the guitar in 2 days! They have really good service and very flexible payment plans. Overall, I am really happy having this guitar and I hope this helps you a little bit because I know there's not much reviews about it yet and only 1 youtube video demo posted so far. Goodluck!

Musical Background:

23 years experience

Musical Style:

Rock, blues, christian, r&b, reggae and pop.
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Submitted August 11, 2013 by Stephen J in West Lafayette, IN

"I love this Guitar!"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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I love this Guitar! I have had three other less expensive Martins, so this isn't my first Martin. I was impressed with the sound right out of the box. I bought this from ZZounds and it was delivered very quickly and in perfect shape. It has great volume and sustain, even unplugged and the lows are really what you would expect from a Martin. Great mid-range and highs as well. This guitar is a perfect step up for new guitarist or even a seasoned pro.

Musical Background:

Guitar for 2 years, I have Martins, Taylors and Washburn Guitars

Musical Style:

Retro-Rock and Country.
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Submitted November 28, 2012 by Ken C in Nacogdoches, TX

"Martin DCPA4 "

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Great guitar right out of the box.Action set up nicely,great tone plugged in or unplugged.Nice to be back on a Martin again.

Musical Background:

Pro Picker,40 years experience,play guitar,bass & keyboards

Musical Style:

country,rock,&blues
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Submitted February 5, 2014 by Grant V in kansas city, MO

"BOOOOM! UNBELIVEABLE SOUND!!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I was a little worried about ordering something like this online.. zzounds delivered this guitar in the factory box in the case when I opened it was in perfect order I tuned it using the built in fishman tuner.. The sound was UNBELIVEABLE.. And you can tell that the craftsmanship that went into this badass was topnotch.. I played it for three days and then changed the strings to a D'Addario lights 12-53 and lost the sound.. use the martin strings it comes with 13-56 and BOOOM!!!

Musical Background:

pro player/recording.. couch allstar

Musical Style:

any riff any time
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Submitted March 16, 2015 by The Coastal Gentleman in Covington, LA

"Super Tone and Play-ability "

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Studied this purchase months ahead of purchasing by reading reviews of several guitars in this price range. The items that put in the head of pack and ultimately the winner: 1. Solid wood 2. Fast neck and action similar to my electrics 3. Built in Fishman pickup (this appears the weak link in Taylors) 4. Built in USA 5. Martin's reputation for quality 6. The dreadnought style seemed to have the better reviews for tone and sound. 7. No frills (didn't need all the fancy inlays, etc. 8. Rosewood back and sides seemed to have the more mellow sound over the Sapele DCPA4 model 9. Neck shape and dot style After changing the stock strings to Extra light ones the guitar played better and actually sounded fuller when plugged into an acoustic amp. I will have about a month to practice with this guitar before my next gig in April and it appears after playing it for two days, I may have a hard time going back to my Festival series Washburn (which I still love to play). If you want a guitar that sounds like a $3K guitar for half the price....this one is it!

Musical Background:

Been playing for 40 years on and off. Last 2 years playing selective gigs during the year. Also songwriting.

Musical Style:

Coastal Folk (i.e. Jimmy Buffett, Zac Brown, Steve Goodman, etc.)
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Submitted February 12, 2014 by Rick Mac in Memphis, TN

"The Best DCPA4 Model ever"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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This model surpass it's expectation the sound is imperative, smooth, crisp and clean very impressive and zzounds is the best service ever !!!!

Musical Background:

over 20 years

Musical Style:

Rock, funk, jazz, christian etc!,
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Submitted April 1, 2015 by Mark M in Bakersfield, CA

"Keeps on getting better"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I bought this guitar a little over a year ago from zZounds, and the first thing I noticed, besides the craftsmanship, was the beautiful tone. Everything else is first rate also. I don't use the electronics much except for the tuner but, when I do, I'm surprised at how, even thru a regular, cheap ($99) amp. the tone and timbre is just like the guitar only a bit louder. The best thing about it is it just keeps getting better, or I am from playing it all the time. :-)

Musical Background:

3rd year playing

Musical Style:

It's all good.
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Submitted October 6, 2015 by Brian W in Phoenix, AZ

"Highly Impressed"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I'd been shopping for an acoustic guitar in the $1500 range for a few years. I wasn't in a hurry and wanted to wait until the time was right. After reading many reviews, this guitar kept coming to the top.I didn't purchase it at ZZounds but had to write a review just the same...The shop I purchased it from did a complete setup when it came in, (as they do with all of their higher-end guitars). It was perfect. Action was great, intonation was right on, thanks to the compensated bridge and it just felt right. I'm more of a chord player and "strummer" than a finger picker so I started playing "Melissa" by the Allman Brothers and I got chills! I immediately knew this was the one.The tone is big and full! I prefer the darker, bolder sound of a Martin so this guitar was perfect for me. But that's not to say the mids or highs suffer...it is well balanced and doesn't suffer anywhere in the spectrum. When fingerpicking, it's clean and articulate and when digging into some driving rhythms, it makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up!Plugged into a little Fender acoustisonic 90, it sounded good but I'm sure it will sound even better in a full-sized amp. The electronics seem to be top-notch and the tuner works great.I can't say anything negative about it. I feel unfinished/thin finish wood vibrates better than wood with a heavy finish so I have no issue with the satin sides. I think they give it a classy look.

Musical Background:

Amateur, playing for 40 years.

Musical Style:

Rock, blues, etc.
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Submitted February 18, 2014 by ken t in Blaine, MN

"Martin DCPA4 Rosewood acuostic electric"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Great guitar for the money. I played several more expensive martins and liked this one better.

Musical Background:

semi pro 40 years guitar

Musical Style:

rock, country, blues, gospel
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Submitted February 28, 2016 by Michael D in Gilbertsville, PA

"Sweet "

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I'm still learning self taught and this guitar has made me a better player. I don't want to put it down. This is my 3rd purchase from zZounds and I will never shop anywhere else.

Musical Background:

Jam at home

Musical Style:

Country, rock
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Submitted September 18, 2014 by Paul B

"Great guitar for price"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Love this guitar , it is well made and crafted and sounds as good as any other . Good price on such a nice guitar .

Musical Background:

Just beginner but all my family and in laws have been playing and singing for over 40 years and they love this Martin guitar .

Musical Style:

All styles of music is played
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Submitted October 25, 2015 by DARRELL C

"perfect!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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out of the box, slight tune and WOW!! GREAT FEEL GREAT ACTION GREAT TONE GREAT ELECTRONICS AWESOME FIT AND FINISH! (Beautiful matched top even with some cool purfling and , of couirse, the back and sides rosewod,,mmmmm the Martin smell) VERY HAPPY!!!!!

Musical Background:

20 YRS

Musical Style:

GRATEFUL DEAD
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Submitted July 15, 2016 by Norman Tickner in Sonoma, CA

"I am set"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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I checked out quite a few guitars before settling on the DCPA4. I tried a D-28, several Taylors and some other Martins. This one has a very balanced sound, which was important to me. The bass is not so pronounced that moving from D to E sounds like you switched guitars.I'm totally happy with my purchase and I love that you can select the exact serial number you want after viewing all the photos. I got the best one already, but you can probably find a decent one too. :)
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Submitted February 1, 2015 by Michael Burke in New Lenox, IL

"Nice little guitar! Martin quality and sound at an awesome price!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I found this guitar at Guitar Center and thought it was nice; however, who actually buys a guitar at Guitar Center! It played quick and has a surprisingly loud and clear sound. The craftsmanship is remarkable, a beautiful guitar. The electronics work awesome when plugged in; my only complaint is the tuner. It is inaccurate more times than not. I usually just tune up by ear or use another tuner. Overall this thing rocks, sounds great and feels great. Not to mention the smell of the rosewood...delicious! This is a definite 5 star buy! A perfect combo of price and quality! And by the way, after demo-ing this at Guitar Center, I went to zZounds and got a great deal, free shipping and no tax!!!!!

Musical Background:

18 years, mostly jam at home

Musical Style:

Rock, folk, Latin, hard rock.
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Submitted November 10, 2015 by Dennis D in North Fort Myers, FL

"Big Disappointment"

Overall: 2 out of 5 stars
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I really feel badly about this. I have been a Martin owner for almost 50 years, and I would have to say I'm one of their biggest fans. I ordered this guitar because I didn't want to drill into my D-28 or D 16 to install a pickup. So I bought this to have an acoustic/electric that was made to be just that. The pickup on this guitar is horrible. There is no other way to describe it. It sounds like an electric guitar. My recording engineer told me he wouldn't record it because it is almost impossible to get a good acoustic sound out of it. I replaced the nut, saddle and string pins with bone and it helped a little, but not a lot. Now I know Martins take a long time to break in, so I gave it some time. It just isn't responding. Very "stiff" feel, no real resonance, no bottom, unbalanced response. I asked Zzounds to take it back, but they rightfully would not allow it because it was outside of the guaranty period. I don't fault them for that. They are very good about that kind of service, and I waited too long. My fault. But then again, when you spend this kind of money on a guitar, you want to try to work it in. It's kind of unreasonable to give the guitar a real "test" in such a short time. Again, that was my mistake. Not Zzounds. I am still very satisfied with this company and I am waiting to buy more stuff after the payoff on this guitar. I contacted Martin. They would not work with me, other than to tell me they would have a rep look at the electronics. That's when I changed the nut, saddle, etc looking for a better sound. The rep is on the other side of Florida, and really, I can make some kind of modifications to the electronics...ie not use them. But it's the general feel and playability of the guitar that's the problem. I was disappointed in Martin's response. They have a lifetime guaranty. I think they dropped the ball on that guaranty. All of that said, I stand by Zzounds and will continue to do business with them. They didn't build this guitar. But I expect MUCH more from Martin, and I will think hard and long before I make a relatively big guitar purchase from an on line company. Some things need to be held in your hand before you buy them I made a mistake here. And it's as much my fault as anyone else.

Musical Background:

I have been playing and recording since 1967.

Musical Style:

Rock, classic rock, acoustic, play drums, keys, vocals and recording.
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Submitted September 8, 2014 by Keith Bucholtz in New Port Richey, FL

" Martin DCPA4 Rosewood"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I don't know where to start, accept that is guitar rocks beyond my wildest dreams. After shopping around for 8 months for a acoustic electric I was torn from deciding on a Gibson or a Martin, and I guess I picked the right one. This guitar has deep base; which I love, and outstanding mid tones. The thing just plain rocks, and sounds so professional. The quality is a 5 star, and the case it came with is slightly a lower end case, but will do for me. I don't travel around with it so it should hold just fine. Anyone doubting about a Martin, think no more. They are everything a guitar should be, and plug it into a Marshall 100A boom your on stage with the pros. Love it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks ZZOUNDS I will be loyal to you for the great deal you gave me because no one came close to it.

Musical Background:

Been playing for 35 years, and have played at home pretty much the whole time

Musical Style:

Country rock, blues
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Submitted August 16, 2014 by Keith Bucholtz in New Port Richey, FL

"Martin DCPA4 Rosewood Guitar"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I just got this dream guitar two days ago, and can't put it down! The sound is very rich with deep base, and mid highs. I truly believe that spending the extra money really is worth hearing a professional sound. At ZZounds not only did they match another competitors price but beat it. I am a loyal customer that will always use them.

Musical Background:

Learned guitar at age 10, and haven't played for a long time. my new Martin has brought me back to a hobby I truly love. I am a

Musical Style:

Country rock
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Submitted November 25, 2015 by dennis morgan in tucson, AZ

"martin dcp4 rosewood"

Overall: 1 out of 5 stars
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Arrived badly set up , but settled down after re humidifying to a small degree. Then the side cracked and have to make an appointment at Rainbow Guitar in Tucson to get a Band Aid repair ( Thin super glue no doubt ) Bought in March 2015 . Not my first Martin but probably my last. My Ovation Balladeer 1976 has a better neck action . Left with a bad taste on this one

Musical Background:

60 years .5 string Gibson Scruggs , pedal steel( Justice ) Taylor A/E 714 ce Bagpipes etc

Musical Style:

Anything as needed
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