Gretsch Jim Dandy Parlor Acoustic Guitar - Rex Burst

I got my first guitar from a Sears catalog back in 1966 and it was a *lot* like this parlor acoustic. It wasn't built as well and it didn't sound nearly so good, but the "feel" of the thing was very similar. When I opened this Gretsch, I was immediately reminded of that little, cheap-o Sears guitar, but in a completely good way! I was nearly crushed beneath the waves of nostalgia. Since that first guitar in '66, I've probably owned 200 guitars, ranging from inexpensive Kays to Gibsons and Fenders costing thousands of dollars. I play professionally and have for decades, and for live shows I typically play a White Falcon, a PRS and an old Tele. I love my "luxe" axes, but I gotta tell ya, when I picked up this Jim Dandy, I was immediately transported to those long-ago practice sessions, sitting on my bunk bed in the room I shared with my brother, pounding out "Wipe Out" and "Little Black Egg" for hours on end. It was practically magical, baby! This guitar is never going to sound as good as my Dove or Martin, but it is fun as all get-out to play and perfect for writing songs or just pickin' some Dylan on the back porch on a summer's evening. And the build quality, sound and set up are all excellent; far beyond what the price tag might imply. It's just a fun little guitar. And it's cheap enough that if I whack it on a lawn chair or lean it against a wet bush when I'm sitting around a campfire, it's not the end of the world.

This guitar has a very bright and loud sound to it. The neck was set correctly right out of the box. I highly recommend open D tuning on this instrument. Well worth it!

Note: I'm still learning to play, so I'm not a seasoned guitar player. I got tired of lugging my Martin D-18 around. This thing is a great size to travel with or throw in the car, and it seems rugged enough that I'm not worried about banging it on things. It takes up very little space in my office. The very first thing I did was break a string when tuning it for the first time, not sure what was up with that. So I put new strings on it right away, and it's been good to go. The space between strings is a little tight, but otherwise I enjoy playing it. Definitely good value for the money, and it looks and sounds good and plays well.

Great little guitar nice easy action and great sound for its size

Incredible sound! This guitar is a lot of fun to play! Can not beat this quality @ this price.

Pros: Great sounding parlor, nuff said. Cons: The only real con I had was the fact that the back side is not the same color as the front of the guitar. I didn't realize that they didn't paint the back black. Kind of ugly having the front painted and the back not painted. Anything else I could say is irrelevant, because you choose to buy a guitar with or without other aspects. So for under 200 dollars, you are going to be hard pressed to find other guitars with the sound and playing quality of this guitar. Of course this is a parlor, so understand what a parlor is before you buy one. That's more towards the beginners out there.

Daughter loved it. Perfect size

I have a Maestro Concert acoustic guitar, also. The Jim Dandy has a higher tone than the Maestro, so I use both at different times. At first I wasn't sure I'd keep the Jim Dandy, but decided to. The Jim Dandy is lighter, and more narrow than the Maestro, so easier to hold. I like it.

Did a good bit of research into various acoustics before buying and have to say it’s a lot of guitar for the price. Sound quality punches well above its weight. Good volume despite it being a parlour. Imagine it would be great for a decent Finger picker (I’m learning) Size is perfect for an at home or travel guitar. Love the Matte effect and look. Only regret is not getting the LTD solid top version. For a guitar that is not solid wood it is a thing of beauty. Won’t find a better starter/lower value piece

Really nice sounding guitar, obviously a short scale parlour, I wanted something I could travel With, it looks a lot more expensive than it is and it’s a Gretch! Action was pretty spot on out of the box, I did change the strings to 9s but the ones that come with are fine. Only downside is no case, would love a fitted one made for it, hard to find one that fits it