Recommender denied request. Other options?

[IoSpero]

One of the professors, 'Dr. A', I asked for a recommendation responded that he didn't think he were the best person to write a letter. The 'Dr. A' stated it in a very helpful way, stating that he didn't think that his interests aligned with what I was applying for (same field but different concentration) and recommended that I ask another professor with more similar interests, including my MA committee chairs or possibly previous recommenders.

I have already asked my committee chair but the other committee member has never worked with me other than to review my thesis. While I was a RA for 'Dr. A' and I have had to courses with him, I feel that he knows me better than the other committee member. My previous recommenders for this graduate program have not worked with me since undergrad, 4+ years ago, but did get me into my competitive MA program. 'Dr. A' said that he would happily write me the LOR if I could not find a more suitable replacement. 

Is 'Dr. A' just trying to be nice about saying that he wouldn't write a good LOR? I felt he was just trying to help me have a compelling application but was unsure if he was being overly polite. I can try to reach out to my previous recommenders but feel that their understanding of me is a little out of date. Should I just go that route and avoid the possibility of a poor LOR? I feel weirdly left in the lurch with deadlines looming. Advice?

[Oshawott]

It might be helpful to be more specific when you approach the professor and say "aside from our interests not aligning, would you be able to write me a good recommendation letter?"

Its a bit hard to tell, but your professor might just think that a more relevant person would be more useful, and likely doesn't know your relationship with anyone else as much as you do.

[Eigen]

If someone you feel knows you well (Dr A) thinks that another professor (Dr C) would be a better person to write the letter, why not ask that person?

I can certainly see the argument that someone on your committee is a better choice for a letter than someone not on your committee. 

You mention you're getting a letter from your committee chair- who is the 3rd writer? How does their letter mesh with the others?

Have you asked your committee chair what they think?

[IoSpero]

My third writer is someone outside of my MA program, my undergrad advisor I kept in touch with, within my discipline but outside of my field (ie cultural anth instead of archaeo).

My chair's interest directly align with my own but is an absent-minded, awkward, busy professor that is brilliant at research and funding but horrible at advice and responding to emails.

My other committee member, however, is in the right concentration as me but with an utterly different focus, more thesis writing and perspective advice than anything, and admittedly knows little about the specific focus that I want to pursue in my PhD. This, on top of never doing course work with other committee member, makes me think that he is a poor choice.  

I feel odd about having two recommenders outside of my graduate program. To me it looks like I didn't get along with anyone, though that is not the case, it was just a 1 year masters that I either did research or took classes with Dr. A or my chair.

[Eigen]

IMO, coming from a MA program, having been in class with a letter writer doesn't mean much.

They need to speak to your ability as a researcher, not your ability as a student. This means your committee members, that read and approved of your scholarship (thesis) are some of your best choices.