Gretsch Jim Dandy Dreadnought WN WPG RXB
Product information "Gretsch Jim Dandy Dreadnought WN WPG RXB"
Inspired by the historic "Rex" series of instruments that were offered by mail order in the 1930s, '40s and '50s, the Jim Dandy models embody the charm and spirit of those early Gretsch flat-top guitars with outstanding playability and premium tone. With a 24.75" (62.9 cm) scale length the Jim Dandy Dreadnought offers a refreshingly comfortable and compact body without sacrificing the volume, projection and bass response for which dreadnought guitars are so revered.
The X-braced body is crafted from selected, lightweight laminated tonewoods and provides an optimal balance between woody vintage tone and reliable durability, while the "C"-shaped neck offers an inviting playing feel for hours of inspiration.
Contemporary details such as a vintage-style bridge, an Ivoroid binding and a pickguard with "G" graphic, a painted purfling with pinstripe, open tuners and oversized dot fretboard inlays give it a nostalgic personality appropriate for any occasion. The Gretsch Jim Dandy Dreadnought suits any musical style, from bluesy picking to swing, and is an ideal companion for beginners and old hands alike.
- Back / Sides: Linde
- Binding: Tortoise
- Body Shape: Dreadnought
- Body Shape: Slope Shoulder Dreadnought
- Bridge: Walnut
- Color/ Finish: Rex Burst
- Colour: Sunburst
- Construction / Acoustic: Laminated
- Country of Origin: Indonesia
- Cutaway: no
- Finish: Matt
- Fretboard: Walnut
- Fretboard Inlays: White Pearloid Dots
- Headstock: 1950's Gretsch® 3x3
- Neck: Nato
- Nut Width: 42,7 mm
- Rosette: 3 Ring Ivoroid
- Saddle/Cross piece inlay: Synthetic Bone / compensated
- Scale Length: 24,75" (629 mm)
- Strings: 6 string
- Strings thickness ex factory: .012 - .053
- Top: Linde
- Tuning Machines: Open Gear Die-Cast
- Factory stringing D'Addario EJ16 Phosphor Bronze Light .012-.053
Since its founding in 1883 in Brooklyn, New York, Gretsch has delivered musical instruments of the highest quality with masterful craftsmanship — instruments that have been both influential to and cherished by some of the music industry’s most respected artists, including Chet Atkins, Eddie Cochran, Billy Duffy, Bono, Duane Eddy, George Harrison, Brian Setzer, Stephen Stills and Malcolm Young.
Twenty-seven-year-old Friedrich Gretsch, a German immigrant, began the company’s career by making banjos, drums and tambourines. Only 12 years later Friedrich passed away and left the young business to his then 15‑year‑old son Fred. Far from a typical teenager, he built the company into one of America’s leading importers and manufacturers of musical instruments. Knowing that the key to growth was listening to the public — and the public wanted guitars — Gretsch began producing the sought‑after six‑string instruments.
Initially, from 1926, these took the form of acoustic archtops for the rapidly growing popularity of jazz and a handful of flattops for the ever‑popular country and western sounds in the USA. In 1935 Gretsch launched the legendary Broadkaster drum series, which remained successful into the 1950s. Gretsch’s contribution to the rise of electric amplification came in 1939 with the first Electromatic®, a hollow‑body design that, in contemporary form, remains in the range to this day.
In 1942 Fred Gretsch Senior, after 50 years of successful business, handed the company to his son Fred Gretsch Junior. Because production was interrupted during the turmoil of the Second World War, Junior left the business to his brother Bill and joined the Navy. Tragically Bill died in 1948, like his grandfather at a young age, so the now‑inactive naval officer Fred resumed the helm of the family firm.
Since 1953 the company has also cultivated its expertise in solid‑body guitars, which met the ever‑louder concerts with greatly reduced susceptibility to feedback. The semi‑acoustic line has since been expanded to include guitars with centre‑block construction, combining the tonal character of a hollow‑body guitar with the practical aspects of a solid‑body.
After George Harrison’s appearance with the Beatles and his Country Gentleman on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, Gretsch became firmly established among the iconic guitar makers — a status reflected in 1965 by the highest production volume in the company’s history.
In 1967, at the peak of its success, Fred Gretsch Jr. decided to retire and sold the company to the Baldwin Piano Company, which took over operations — unfortunately with only moderate success. Fortunately Dinah Gretsch joined the company in 1979 and helped prepare the path for a repurchase that her husband Fred W. Gretsch, the great‑grandson of the founder, completed 17 years after the sale. Together the couple restored the company to its former glory, where it seems to remain today.
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