I was looking for a "knock-around" guitar and began stumbling across reviews for the Gretsch Jim Dandy. I have to be honest: I was deeply skeptical of the positive reviews this little $149 guitar was getting but I took a chance and ordered one. It definitely lives up to the hype but in the interest of being objective here are my observations:
Appearance: Gretsch has nailed the retro vibe. If you're looking for the aesthetics of deeply-grained tone-wood this isn't your instrument but the Jim Dandy has it's own vintage charm. The Tobacco Sunburst top is a matte spray finish that looks good and is evenly applied. The rest of the instrument is flat black which may be a fingerprint magnet ... time will tell. The pinstripe on the top is obviously hand-painted; there are some minor imperfections but it really fits in with the retro theme Gretsch is shooting for. The cheesy (in my opinion) pick guard and open tuners only bolster that theme. My one complaint: Gretsch made the inexplicable decision to begin their fret markings at the fifth fret rather than the third. Overall, I'd grant the Jim Dandy an 8 out of 10 for appearance.
Build: The Jim Dandy is a relatively light weight guitar and subjectively feels heavier than my Little Martin. My out-of-the-box inspection revealed no obvious flaws other than some small debris rattling around inside. The kerfing and bracing seems clean and tidy and the tuners, while stiff, function well. There are no bridge pins to lose with the Jim Dandy's through-bridge design. Overall, I was impressed by the quality and the instrument was actually close to being in tune right out of the box! Further, the factory set-up is actually very good. The neck is straight, the nut is reasonably well cut, the action is quite playable with nary a buzz or dead spot. The real surprise is the fret work on this guitar. One British reviewer commented that the Jim Dandy had the best fret work of any entry-level guitar he's seen. I'll go a step further: the Jim Dandy I received has better fret work than guitars costing several hundred dollars more based on my auditioning of instruments at local music stores. Overall: a 10 out of 10 given the price point.
Sound: Fun! Again, if you're looking for high-end tone and sustain this isn't your instrument. That said, the Jim Dandy has an enjoyable sound ... it's somewhat boxy yet sweet, especially when finger picked. If you're a strummer I'd recommend trying light gauge nylon picks as these seem to emphasize the Jim Dandy's mid-range where celluloid or tortex can ring a bit harsh. Does it have the clarity, voice or vibe of any of my Martins? No. But it has its own sound that is enjoyable. Overall: 8 out of 10.
The Jim Dandy is an unapologetically budget guitar that manages to be playable and fun for a price point that's really hard to believe. Really, it's not hard to spend more on a case than you would spend on this guitar. In my opinion it's a perfect instrument for places one might hesitate to take a more expensive guitar.
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card
Customers also search
Page 1 of 1Page 1 of 1
Compare with similar items
This Item  Gretsch G9500 Jim Dandy 24" Flat Top Acoustic Guitar, 2-Color Sunburst |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | Currently unavailable. | $278.99 | $229.99 | $184.00 | $188.99 | $99.99 |
| Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 21 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Value for money | ||||||
| Sound quality | ||||||
| Craftsmanship | ||||||
| For beginners | ||||||
| Sold By | — | Instrumentpro | Amazon.com | Instrumentpro | Instrumentpro | Enya Musical |
| hand orientation | Right | Right | Right | Right | Right | Right |
| number of strings | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| fretboard material | Walnut Wood | Walnut Wood | Rosewood | Walnut Wood | Walnut Wood | Radius - Carbon Fiber & Polycarbonate |
| back material | Agathis Wood | — | Rosewood | Basswood | — | Carbon Fiber |
| top material | Agathis Wood | Sapele Wood | Spruce Wood | Basswood | Basswood | Carbon Fiber |
| string material | Phosphor Bronze | Nickel | Phosphor Bronze | Nickel | Nickel | Phosphor Bronze |
| body material | Basswood | — | Mahogany | Basswood | — | Carbon Fiber |
Reviews with images
Nice Comfortable Size, Tone Quality Good
Size and weight are perfect for portability and practice. Colors are nice and soft... no heavy varnish look. There is a strap button on the bottom.Tone quality with original strings is good and may improve with usage and more stretching from playing and retuning.I do plan to put on other strings that will give the sound a little more bass- those strings are: Ernie Ball 2151 Earthwood Phosphor Bronze Rock and Blues Acoustic Guitar Strings, which I bought from Musician's Friend dot com.I also ordered the gig bag for this particular guitar, offered on the same page as the ad. I like to protect my guitars when not in use.All in all this will be a practice guitar. My other guitars are full size concert and will provide the total sound quality from 50 years each of mellowing hardwoods.I believe this guitar will be perfect for a beginner or intermediary player, whether child or adult, because of its 1/2 size.Enjoy, it is worth the money. It was well packaged and delivered within 48 hours. Don't forget to get a capo and a Super Tight Snark tuner... :)
Top reviews from other countries
Manuel Davila Delgado
Buena acústica para viajar y tener a mano
Reviewed in Spain on August 6, 2020