Acoustic Guitar
Gretsch Jim Dandy Parlor
Price: 194 EUR – 319 EUR
Price history
Cheapest seen
Most expensive seen
Availability: 8/10 (Common)
A budget-friendly, small-bodied parlor guitar inspired by 1930s-50s mail-order instruments: laminated basswood top, back and sides, a short 24-inch scale, and vintage-style pinned bridge and open-gear tuners.
About the Gretsch Jim Dandy Parlor
The Jim Dandy Parlor takes its compact, narrow-waisted body shape and overall vibe from the mail-order "Rex" guitars sold through catalogs in the 1930s, 40s and 50s - inexpensive instruments built for accessibility over projection. The body uses laminated basswood throughout (top, back and sides) with X-bracing, and the short 24-inch scale length combined with the small body makes it noticeably easier to fret and more portable than a full-size dreadnought.
The neck is nato with a "C" profile and semi-gloss finish, carrying a walnut fingerboard at a 12-inch radius with 18 frets and white pearloid dot inlays - fewer frets than a standard guitar, again reflecting the parlor format's compact scope. Hardware includes a vintage-style pinned bridge, painted pinstripe body purfling, a distinctive "G"-graphic pickguard, and 3-on-a-plate open-gear tuners on Gretsch's period-correct 1950s-style 3x3 headstock.
Where to buy
Platforms
Price
–
-
Reverb 194 EUR Best price View details
-
Reverb 208 EUR View details
-
Reverb 217 EUR View details
-
eBay 220 EUR View details
-
Reverb 227 EUR View details
-
eBay 233 EUR View details
-
eBay 240 EUR View details
-
Reverb 240 EUR View details
-
Reverb 242 EUR View details
-
eBay 249 EUR View details
-
Reverb 269 EUR View details
-
eBay 269 EUR View details
-
Reverb 272 EUR View details
-
eBay 272 EUR View details
-
Reverb 278 EUR View details
-
Reverb 279 EUR View details
-
Reverb 301 EUR View details
-
Reverb 318 EUR View details
-
eBay 319 EUR View details
No platform selected – pick at least one above.
Some links below are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Source: https://reverb.com/item/99030847-gretsch-jim-dandy-parlor-ltd-vintage-white-open-box
Sound character of the Gretsch Jim Dandy Parlor
The Jim Dandy's small parlor body produces the classic parlor voice: a boxy, midrange-forward tone with limited bass extension and a bright, percussive quality that's well suited to blues and fingerstyle rather than full-band strumming volume.
Technical data for the Gretsch Jim Dandy Parlor
| Body | Laminated basswood (top, back, sides), X-braced |
|---|---|
| Neck | Nato, "C" profile |
| Fretboard | Walnut, 12" radius |
| Frets | 18 |
| Scale length | 24" |
| Bridge | Vintage-style, pinned |
| Tuners | 3-on-a-plate, open-gear |
Price history for the Gretsch Jim Dandy Parlor
Cheapest seen: 194 EUR · Most expensive seen: 319 EUR
Cheapest seen
Most expensive seen
The history of the Gretsch Jim Dandy Parlor
Parlor guitars were a common, affordable format sold through mail-order catalogs across the early-to-mid 20th century, often under house brand names distinct from major manufacturers rather than sold as premium instruments. Gretsch's Jim Dandy line revives that format and marketing spirit - modest materials and construction, but a genuine period-correct look and feel - as an entry point into acoustic playing or a compact travel/practice instrument for more experienced players.
Related guides
- Acoustic Guitar Body Shapes: Dreadnought, Concert, Jumbo and More Compared View details
- Humidity and Acoustic Guitars: Target Values, Damage, Storage and Used-Buyer Checks View details
- Acoustic Guitar Saddle, Nut, Pins, Tuners and Pickups: What Matters and What It Costs View details