Gretsch Jim Dandy

#gretschjimdandy #acousticguitar
Check out the Gretsch G9500 Jim Dandy Flat Top Acoustic Guitar on Sweetwater! sweetwater.sjv... (Affiliate)
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Gretsch G9500 Jim Dandy Flat Top Parlor Acoustic Guitar Demo Video. Beginner acoustic guitar.
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Description from Sweetwater:
A 12-fret with Classic Gretsch Style!
The Gretsch G9500 Jim Dandy Flat Top acoustic guitar takes you back to the '30s and '40s, back when smaller parlor guitars like the Gretsch Rex were the kings of front-porch strumming and backyard get-togethers. A traditional 12-fret guitar through and through, you'll be hard pressed to find a more comfortable acoustic guitar than the G9500 Jim Dandy Flat Top, whose small body makes it an ideal choice for your next couch guitar. At the same time, a highly resonant agathis back, sides, and top along with an elongated body provide give the Gretsch G9500 Jim Dandy Flat Top plenty of natural projection.
This was not a sponsored video.
Disclaimer: I do basic audio editing on my videos to account for the microphones, preamp and room. This editing, mostly light EQ and compression, is intended to give you the most accurate representation of how the featured gear actually sounds. NO editing is done to misrepresent how the featured gear sounds in any way.

[@JackFossett]

Thanks for watching! Please remember to like and subscribe, and join me for some tunes ~ open.spotify.com/artist/6RLQFre2Qp5T454mFR5Ol4

[@nichtimmer9134]

Is that smaller than a 000 guitar? ...surch a litle guitar who is easy to play!, it were fine to finde one with that sices but longer neck!, ...know you one? ...thanks

[@rudykevin2959]

A tip: watch series at Flixzone. Been using it for watching all kinds of movies recently.

[@shepardmaddux8817]

@Rudy Kevin yea, have been using Flixzone for months myself =)

[@musicismyreligion5213]

There is just something very unique about this inexpensive yet very fun six string. It has a swampy voice, vintage look, and is very comfortable to play. It sounds especially good in an open tuning and works very well with a slide too. A favorite of mine.

[@mikethebloodthirsty]

Agreed... They're getting quite collectable now judging by the amount of bids they get.

[@rodjones117]

I love mine - I use it for fingerpicking delta blues (open tuning, with and without bottleneck). I agree with the above comment 100%. I play it nearly every day. Unbelievable value.

[@viscountrainbows2857]

I work at a grocery store and a customer recently gifted me this. It's probably got the smoothest and easiest action I have felt, and has probably more resonance than my Ovation. I feel like this build is just... me in a way. I know it's a mini guitar, technically but it makes more noise than the proper sized ones I have had, and the buttery smooth feel goes a long way even when I forget to clip my fingernails.

[@clawhammer704]

This is what a lot of blues and backyard old country music folks played on. Most of those could not afford or get their hands on high dollar guitars. In fact something like this needed to replicate that sound.

[@Doowopsid]

Great review video! Love your honest conversational style. I feel like we’re sitting around talking about our thoughts about all the aspects of this guitar. Sounds great by the way as well as your playing! Thank you

[@jcgarcia1931]

Something to be said about a guitar you can throw into the back of your truck and know it will get the job done at the campsite or beach or whatever... I put the gretsch pick up in it recently which has really revived this cool little git. Worth picking up for sure.

[@vincentfender87]

Hey, Jack! There needs to be more acoustic guitar reviews like this one on your channel. Would love to see one about the Gibson J-45. Even though, I’m more of an electric guitarist (and a Strat guy), the J-45 remains what I call the “guitar of my life”.

[@Nomadicsage1]

I plan on buying the Jim dandy,its a parlor guitar that actually sounds like a parlor guitar!

[@JackFossett]

It really nails the classic antique "catalog" guitar vibe.

[@bobgreen8142]

@zerx harris definitely worth it! I got one just yesterday and can't put it down.

[@thatpickingguy]

@@bobgreen8142 Just bought one, are you still enjoying yours?

[@bobgreen8142]

@@thatpickingguy Yep, still loving it! All those years I played big old dreadnoughts, yet parlour is definitely the way to go, so comfortable and fun to play.

[@user-jl9kw9gn3m]

Key to the Highway 😎

[@jeremybaker195]

Yep that's exactly why I bought one of these. Its my little inexpensive couch guitar thats sounds good. I generally find myself playing slide and 40s early 50s style blues on it.

[@danmoran485]

Bought one yesterday, cannot wait!!!!!

[@sssidney]

I’ve accidentally stumbled across these whilst looking for a acoustic and from what I’ve read and heard they tick all the boxes cheers for the review

[@musicdude1546]

Very warm and sweet trebles.

[@stephenbouchelle7706]

I really like mine. I’ve been keeping it in open C for a while now. I removed the pick guard by prying it off with a thin plastic spatula and I removed the glue from the body with finger nail polish remover. Amazingly, the finish was unharmed.

[@JackFossett]

Nice! I haven't played much in Open C. I kept this in Open G for a while before switching back to standard. All in all though its such a fun little guitar.

[@guitarmusic7619]

can i see that?

[@prkeene]

Because these have a non-angled saddle, they are very easy to convert to left handed. Just replace the nut and saddle. Also the pickguard will peel right off. Left handed parlor guitars are very hard to find so this is a good option. $169 on amazon + $20 for a 1-11/16" left handed tusq nut and a new saddle. They're great for Delta fingerstyle or slide guitar. They don't really have the projection for strumming.

[@michaeljoseph8229]

Or just flip saddle over and recut and recut the nut if you wanna go super cheap with it.

[@louieo.blevinsmusic4197]

Bout to get one for myself and my cousin. We’re about to jam our Jim Dandy’s together.

[@WillieBeard]

What it may lack in tonal complexity the JD makes up for in vibe and cool mojo. I love playing mine.

[@sawmillguy9706]

Just ordered a Jim Dandy for an extended trip this spring

[@e.michaelhelms2991]

I really like my Jim Dandy. I mostly keep mine tuned to open D-minor; you can get some soulful sounds in Dm, plus surprisingly, many chords you use in standard tuning can be used in open Dm, especially barre chords. You'll have to experiment by moving a finger or two, but it's not hard to find chords that work well. I'm thinking of getting another Jim Dandy (the red color?) for standard and other tunings. All in all, a fun instrument.

[@JackFossett]

Good stuff! I've used it a bunch on open G.

[@runnningonempty]

You know those bonus points we build up at the big shop music stores we usually use to buy a pedal with.....THIS IS THE WAY TO SPEND THEM..great review as usual Jack ..thanks

[@stateofblitz]

You could almost get a barking resonator blues sound out of this thing.

[@bigscheaf]

Not saying that you just helped Gretsch sell a guitar, but you probably just helped Gretsch sell a guitar. I’ve been wanting something smaller than my Yamaha F335 to play in the living room and is inspiring to play. So what strings did you end up putting on it?

[@JackFossett]

Awesome! So glad the video made a positive impact. I currently have it strung with light guage elixirs which seem to suit it pretty well.

[@jigen0972]

Thank you. I've been looking into getting a guitar and this is one of the few I've been considering. You and others are very warm towards it and that makes me feel good about a potential purchase :)

[@johnmcdowell5739]

Great advice... a pick up and play guitar for learning. I have a GJD I bought used.

[@TexasOldBikes]

Good review, amazing songs. Very clear your explanation. Thanks for taking your time preparing the video, Jack

[@JackFossett]

Thank you kindly! Glad you enjoyed it, and glad you enjoyed the music

[@1040ecapja]

It's weird but this one, being the cheapest, feels much better than both the Epiphone EL-00 and the Fender CP-100 (the other affordable parlor-sized guitars). I did try them all.

[@JackFossett]

Yes I agree. I think this model is more self-aware, in a way - its not trying to be anything other than what it is. I love this little guy.

[@jesusgonzalez6325]

Have you tried the Recording King ones?

[@Kasino80]

Agreed. I'm coming back to this vid after I sold my cp 100. It was just not that good. It felt cheap and was not as easy to play as I expected from a parlor.

[@lovewalruss]

Thx nice vid. Getting one based on this video

[@JackFossett]

lovewalruss awesome, glad it made a positive impact!

[@davidjacksonjackson3212]

Yes, that sounds good, I will buy one.

[@iwannalearnabout5257]

I like this video, really informative and your interesting to listen to. I bought this guitar 2 years ago, as my first official guitar that I could afford, and its done me well. I stand by this little guitar

[@JackFossett]

Thank you! I still have this one, have had it for about a year now. Still fun as ever.

[@jacksonamaral329]

i enjoyed this guitar.

[@snarlador]

I've been surfing for a couch guitar and so far i like the PRS P-20. At it's price point though it makes me inclined to either upgrade to a fancy small body guitar or downgrade to something like this or a Recording King cheap guitar.. I want a Martin 00-15M for the cost of Jim Dandy. ;)

[@joemonroe8896]

Sounds nice flatpicked. Strumming gets a little thin. Wondering how this would play as a slide guitar. Be nice to have it kept in open tuning and a little delta blues. Sure looks retro... which I dig.

[@carlbowden4712]

It plays very nice as a slide and has a very excellent blues sound with slide. Most people buy them for slide playing. I raised the nut on mine with a couple of cut credit card pieces. Will probably go down to one piece. Some say you need to make no changes to it to play slide. Very easy to play guitar.

[@joemonroe8896]

@@carlbowden4712 Since my first comment I got myself a new Jim Dandy (on sale for $149) and gotta say I love it. Nice compact size and has a great retro tone. Its really a fun guitar to play and a bargain. Thanks for your video btw.

[@carlbowden4712]

@@joemonroe8896 Thanks and thanks for the view. Glad you bought one! I got my Dandy for 129 as a floor model. Has a minor scuff on it.

[@rodjones117]

Great pre-war blues guitar. IMHO sounds best finger-picked in open tuning. With or without bottleneck. Mine had perfect action for slide right out of the box.

[@vetham100]

Very good video, i am considering getting a JD just for sitting around the house. They run around $200 and up here in Ontario Canada, not real cheap but still worth it i think.

[@johnc3403]

6:33 ..absolutely correct. Billy was told by BB that lighter strings were the way to go and boy did Billy and ZZ use that advice well. BB King was never a heavy strings guy. No need to work so hard as he later told Billy. It's not the gauge of the strings. it's how you use them........

[@bobgreen623]

Yep. I use a 10 or 11 set on my Jim Dandy and they are great

[@ScottCommon632]

It’s best for picking and infrequent strumming or strumming only for percussion note

[@jwukulele]

5:25 in defense of lighter string. I personally could play heavier strings but the callouses they create make it more challenging for touch screens & other stringed instruments.

[@wattson6469]

Do you take request ? I really wanna see someone play a particular song on this guitar. I can’t play myself yet ... lol

[@H-DA]

It's really hard not to collect guitars! The GJD sounds beautiful and it looks nice but I have already got an other cheap, oldschool looking Parlor by Baton Rouge as well as a nice, bright and warm sounding Auditorium by Harley Benton and now my mother wants to pass on her electric guitar to me. Have no clue what to do with it yet. I really should stop watching videos about the GJD if I don't want to end up with 4 guitars. 🤣

[@mrmrdux]

Is it worth spending twice as much on a Art Lutherie Roadhouse?

[@learningguitarmwl3223]

I like you ,you say what's on your mind

[@anthonyclegg1511]

I've got one, lovely guitar, but I had to take the scratch plate off, it makes it look like a toy, but it is a serious blues box.

[@danielguerralopes]

Great review! I'm looking for an unexpensive "couch guitar"...I play mostly pop, pop rock and a bit of folk. Would you say the Fender Cp60s is a better choice for me? I'm in love with the Jim Dandy for what I see on youtube, but don't know if it's gonna work well for pop strumming.

[@adamconstantine1984]

Great video man, really inspired me to get one. I love the sound and size of it. By the way your hilarious, cheers

[@wheninroamful]

still like it; it holds up?

[@mattwilliam4803]

-it sounds rite nice🎶I like it lots 😊

[@guitarmusic7619]

i think it sucks that your jim dandy is the agathis/rosewood version and not the basswood/walnut version. :( they make this guitar in 2 wood sets, and i prefer the latter

[@smithfield06]

Hi great video and guitar playing, what Mike would you recommend to record the hun dandy with?

[@dr.stevenpennym.d.3241]

Great video. How’s the Indonesian? How was the tuning stability

[@stephanegirard1126]

Woow Nice tone ! i have a same Jim Dandy Guitar what string do you use.. Thanks

[@randomlyselected9069]

it looks like a great guitar but im not sure for the sound. it sounds more like country maybe? i want to buy a guitar but i want to play and rock songs. is that guitar suitable in that case?

[@toddjones7714]

Great Review! I’m wanting one in black. What strings would you recommend to get the best sound?

[@Doowopsid]

Have you heard from anyone about which strings are recommended?

[@toddjones7714]

@@Doowopsid Sorry, but no. I read in another place the Martin Retro Acoustic gave it a great vintage vibe sound. So, I went with a set of those. The package says Martin Retro Acoustic Monel Custom Light 11. The model number is MM 11 Nickel. I really do love the sound. Hope this helps. God Bless!

[@robercoli6136]

I really liked "Thomas Point." Any tabs available?

[@igorigosta]

just pick up and play :))) and other guitars, how it works? :)))

[@GiudittaDeiFermatori]

Hi, thank you for the video. What do you think about the volume? I'm asking cause I play exclusively with fingers

[@nevereverlistens]

Is this guitar tuned in E or A?

[@walgraevemat]

Can anybody recommend me some of these old fingerpicking style numbers like he's playing right here? I have no clue, other than maybe doc watson

[@JackFossett]

These were all original tunes except for the blues bit which is called Key to the Highway (Clapton style)

[@marqueeco]

Hi, please let me know the recording tools you were using in this video. I really like this review video

[@JackFossett]

Thanks! Mics were a Blue Baby Bottle and Encore 200, recording into a Presonus iTwo interface. Audio done in Logic Pro X.

[@nutritionandfitnesscoach7267]

Well I received that guitar yesterday and it went straight back in the return box within 10 mn. I have a travel Harley Benton and I love it so much more 😅

[@HobbyistSimRacer]

Why you returned it?

[@nutritionandfitnesscoach7267]

Mariela Vargas it looks like a toy out of the box and it is hard to play ( not smooth action ) , could be due to the strings though. But owning a travel Harley Benton it was easy to compare. The HB felt smooth, enjoyable to play and looks great versus the Gretsch that looks like a toy and is hard to play.

[@nutritionandfitnesscoach7267]

Mariela Vargas also the HB is way cheaper and has a nice travel bag that comes with it.

[@HobbyistSimRacer]

Nutrition and Fitness Coach ahhh yeah I understand! Thank you very much!

[@darkjord5823]

@@nutritionandfitnesscoach7267 which HB?

[@greatvanzini]

Good video. If you still have it how is it holding up. Intonation still good?

[@JackFossett]

Still have it, still love it, never had any intonation problems

[@greatvanzini]

@@JackFossett Ordered mine earlier! Thanks so much for getting back to me!

[@nichtimmer9134]

Is that smaller than a 000 guitar? ...surch a litle guitar who is easy to play!, it were fine to finde one with that sices but longer neck!, ...know you one? ...thanks

[@clawhammer704]

Yes it like a 00 size

[@nichtimmer9134]

@@clawhammer704 thanks

[@tiagoricco]

strings 0.11 or 0.12?

[@JackFossett]

10s in this video.

[@gourabshow3993]

💝

[@AmritRamnath]

how does the Gretsch Jim dandy fare versus the Fender CP60S?

[@JackFossett]

They’re very different. This one is trying to capture the old mail order guitar vibe. The CP60 is more like a traditional parlor guitar.

[@sebastionhawk5565]

Is it made in Indonesia? It is nice!

[@notmyname3681]

Yes, made in Indonesia.. love mine :)

[@sebastionhawk5565]

@@notmyname3681 excellent; i will not buy from china... ANYWHERE else...and Indonesia makes GREAT guitars these days! (SOuth Korean engineering and investment)

[@ryantandy307]

I use 12 gauge strings, and then take them off and strangle bears with them when they go dull

[@JackFossett]

As one does

[@lordjs9726]

I looked at this model a few years ago, but ended up buying something else instead.

[@JackFossett]

What did you go with?

[@lordjs9726]

@@JackFossett I'm not sure if I should say what it is.

[@magnate5]

an ibanez PN15

[@lordjs9726]

@@magnate5 No, it was not that.

[@JackFossett]

@@lordjs9726 no big deal, get what you want and like!

[@Xcorgi]

The one i bought has lots of fret buzz.

[@yunusemretoruk3802]

Who is singing "surfing"?

[@JackFossett]

I am, its an original tune

[@yunusemretoruk3802]

@@JackFossett thank you very much :)

[@paulweddle9250]

Umm..It's a $167.00! It came very playable so I'm happy

[@frankfurtersmith6190]

Am I the only person who thought of Black Oak Arkansas when I read it is a Jim Dandy guitar?

[@JackFossett]

I just think of ice cream :-D

[@robercoli6136]

Jim Dandy to the rescue!

[@tomgoodson345]

Where made?

[@musicismyreligion5213]

Why care where its made? If it sounds good and plays good... really doesnt matter.

[@tomgoodson345]

musicismyreligion Thats your opinion, not mine. It matters to me.

[@solinadave5769]

Gretsch is owned by the Gretsch family. Administration and production is by Fender. This guitar is made in Indonesia. And that definitely mattered to me.

[@musicismyreligion5213]

@@solinadave5769And still no reason given why it matters so much ? Patriotism? Snob appeal? Xenophobia? Union man? Vietnam Vet? Covid paranoia? Good things can be made anywhere. And overpriced lousy things are made right here in the USA everyday. But to each his own. Its a great little guitar...period.

[@markolwick2223]

Tip: Look at the lens, not the monitor

[@JackFossett]

I’m looking at my therapist.

[@Jay-rd6fe]

i like 11 to 56 xD

[@royevans6116]

The problem of the guitar-picker of today is to possess a real guitar, not an ectoplasmic guitar. The Jim Dandy is not a spoof, not a product of ingenuity for ingenuity's sake. It's a guitar that some people buy, get rid of, and then buy a second time because the pain of not having one becomes intolerable. It's extremely light and comfortable, and small enough to play inside the trunk of a car, a porta-potty, a dentist's chair, or a coffin. It can help you navigate when you're lost at sea. It can keep you falling from Humpty Dumpty's knee. When you're ready to drop society's bone, go fetch this instrument. Like a beehive, the Jim Dandy guitar can make both sweet and stinging sounds. Hammer-ons and pull-offs sound better on it than any guitar I've owned, imbuing them with a twang that hearkens back to a time when magic was real and people were not. Its sinewy sonics can punch holes through both sides of any argument. It's a street guitar, but don't ask it for directions. It has no respect for consensus reality. Pluck a simple melody on it to hear notes that are not ornamental but symbolic; they're expressive and puzzling, striking and disturbing -- food for thought and also for vultures. The Jim Dandy is greater than the sum of its parts. It's neither a toy nor a Ouija board with strings. It is not a possession. It has its own life story that runs along independently and occasionally intersects our own. I and the one I live with are currently mixed-up in a comedy about mistaken identity. It uses me to express itself, to put humanity in its place. What would a wooden puppet say if it could control the flesh-and-bone ventriloquist that's been exploiting it for years? A Jim Dandy might notice a wooden crucifix and say, "Copy-cat son!"

[@JackFossett]

Well no one is going to top that 🍻

[@Btain]

Very eloquent. I'm buying one now: on this comment alone.

[@tool_fighter]

If you aren’t writing for a living , you should or could be !

[@farnorthpicker56]

One of the best comments I’ve ever read...about anything! Lol.

[@skynyrdrebellion]

"really nice to have a guitar around to just pick up and play" He has got 9 guitars in shot already : )

[@kanker5256]

this is the rosewood version. walnut is better

[@680mudman]

sounds like a ukulele

[@mrtambourineman6107]

Wlll women like this guitar? Or rather will they like me if I'm playing it?

[@JackFossett]

...yes.

[@beetlejes]

This guitar screams: I'm nice to cats, I'll travel with you, I'll buy shit from your Etsy wishlist, I'll mentally stimulate you. So, uhh, yeah, it's attractive.

[@mrtambourineman6107]

I will so make fun of ANYONE who uses anything less than an 11 on an acoustic - a real man uses 12 or 13s !

[@keithmadison8754]

So Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top uses 7's is not a real man lol

[@truckercowboyed2638]

@@keithmadison8754 key word is acoustic, billy used 7 on electric which are totally different and electrics tend to favor lighter gauges by design vs acoustics with heavy...

[@januszwu973]

it looks and sound cheap

[@JackFossett]

I do not agree