Martin GPCPA3 and DPCPA3--any opinions good or bad?

I'm GASing for a new acoustic. As much as I love the D-28 series, they are a bit rich for my blood and they don't have pickups in them. I've checked out a few GPCPA3s and DPCPA3s both at GC and Sam Ash, and I like 'em. They're talking to me. I have not played them plugged up yet, but the Fishman F1 Aura has piqued my interest, too.

Anybody have anything to say about these guitars one way or another?

I got the DCPA3 from Sweetwater about a month ago and really love it. I've never had a really decent acoustic before and I've always wanted a Martin so I finally took the plunge. It came perfectly setup and I love how you can choose the exact guitar you're going to get from them. It sounds pretty amazing unplugged or plugged. You won't be sorry.

Late last January I had the chance to stop at the Martin factory for a tour, on our way back home to the frozen Northeast...the "players room" or whatever was closed and under construction, so they had a bunch of guitars hung up in an alcove in the lobby to play. These guitars it seems had all made their way home from NAMM.

Almost every piece that I tried was dead, sounded flat. Given that they had all been pounded to death at NAMM probably made that no surprise, but you'd have thought they might change out strings before they put them up on display.

The one piece that really stood out...did it have new strings?...was a GPCPA4, just a real nice guitar playing-wise and sound -wise. I especially noted that it was an FSC-certified guitar and had a top made of recycled Sitka from Canadian bridge-timbers (uh, didn't Fender try to do that?). It had a Fishman Analog pickup system, whatever that is (the readout is digital).

Realising this guitar is one digit off form what you are speaking of, I thought I would throw it out to you. Really should try one. I do note that searching on the web brings up both FSC-certified and not certified. Hey, go for the recycled one ("...oh, the stories it could tell...")

I've had a GPCPA3 for about 6 months and love it. Friends who've played it have fallen for it as well. I played a lot of Larivees, Gibsons, Martins etc, when I was shopping and kept coming back to this one. I wasn't wowed by its looks (bright white binding) but its playability and sound won me over and it ended up beating out a really nice sounding Gibson J45 that cost a lot more. I also wanted a good pickup system to use for home recording, haven't recorded with it yet though. I paid about $1600 at a local independent shop.

I'm GASing for a new acoustic. As much as I love the D-28 series, they are a bit rich for my blood and they don't have pickups in them. I've checked out a few GPCPA3s and DPCPA3s both at GC and Sam Ash, and I like 'em. They're talking to me. I have not played them plugged up yet, but the Fishman F1 Aura has piqued my interest, too.

Anybody have anything to say about these guitars one way or another?

If you really want a D-28, they aren't that much more money. If you shop from the right dealers, you can get a new D-28 for under $1800. The two you listed are under $1600 at the same dealers.

Jim

JWSamuel--who and where are these "right dealers"? I'd love to find some Martins for those prices. The only real requirement is that I must play the guitar before I buy it. That might leave out any online sellers.

I too have a GPCPA3 which I picked up last November, it's a beautiful guitar great neck and killer sound. It seems like every time I play it, it gets better.

I've decided to buy a DPCPA3. I went to GC and played it plugged in and liked it. I almost bought it right then and there. I'll probably wait until mid-May and get it then. I'd have had it now except that our TV died and I had to get a flat-screen to replace it. Then I had to replace the DVD player with a BluRay because the DVD's plugs wouldn't match up with the TV's inputs. Damn planned-obsolescence!! Anyway, that ate up some of my guitar money--I will not buy this axe on credit. Either cash or not at all.

This is going to be my next Martin purchase, and I've played ALLOT of them! New and vintage. For sound firstly, and diversity secondly. This Fishman system they have is amazing.

These new Martin's look like Taylor Copies.