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Fender Pawn Shop Special Greta

$286.60 Price Tier: Budget

4.5 (9)

3 Critic Reviews

1 Review

Find out who is using Fender Pawn Shop Special Greta

1 community setup

2 wishlisted

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Page last updated Jul 04, 2026

Pricing and availability

We compare 600+ stores and found this item at 1 store. Prices updated July 4, 2026.

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5.0 (8)

$286.60 4 available Used

View Deal

Average Price: $287

Budget/Beginner

$300

$701+

Price Tier

In the Combo Guitar Amplifiers category, Fender Pawn Shop Special Greta is priced in the Budget/Beginner range. This is great gear to get started with or for creators on a budget.

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Description

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The Fender Pawn Shop Special Greta is more than just an amp; it's a vintage-inspired conversation starter that brings a unique character to your music setup. Styled to resemble a classic table radio, this quirky combo guitar amplifier delivers the unmistakable warmth and charm of tube-driven sound. Inside its retro design lies a potent combination of a 12AX7 preamp tube and a 12AT7 power tube, pushing out a surprisingly dynamic 2 watts of power.

Perfect for intimate practice sessions or small gigs, the Greta's 4-inch Special Design speaker ensures every note is filled with clarity and richness. The front panel is delightfully unconventional with its bold red finish, featuring intuitive volume and tone knobs, along with a VU meter that indicates clean or overloaded signals. This makes it not only a functional piece of gear but also a visually striking one.

For musicians looking to expand their sonic palette, the Greta offers a 1/8" auxiliary input to jam along with your favorite tracks, and a 1/4" line out jack that allows you to connect to other amps, crafting entirely new soundscapes. Whether you're experimenting in the studio or adding flair to your live performances, the Fender Pawn Shop Special Greta is an amp that invites creativity and exploration.

Key Features:

Retro "vintage table radio" design for a unique aesthetic
2 watts of power driven by one 12AX7 preamp tube and one 12AT7 power tube
4" Special Design speaker with an external speaker jack
1/8" Aux Input for easy jamming with external audio devices
1/4" line out jack for connecting to other amplifiers
VU meter with Clean/Overload indicator for signal monitoring

Reviews

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PROS

Achieves genuine tube distortion at low volumes
Tiny size with a vintage radio look
Built-in speaker and external speaker output options
Line-level output for easy integration with larger setups
Ideal for bluesy, chimey tones at low volume settings
Easy tube swapping without re-biasing
Affordable for a tube amp with such features
Versatile as a practice amp or pre-amp for larger systems
Enhances tone when paired with larger cabinets
Unique design sparks conversation

CONS

Limited clean headroom with stock tubes
Enclosed speaker may fizz at higher volumes
Best tones only achieved at low volume settings

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Fender Pawn Shop Special Greta.

Build quality

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The Greta's bright red and gold design is constructed with wood and features a gold speaker mesh, though the white LEDs feel out of place stylistically.
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Use cases and applications

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The Greta is praised for its versatility in different musical styles, from clean tones to insane drive, especially when used with single coil pickups.
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The Greta amp is frequently used alongside acoustic instruments like upright bass and piano, providing a unique tonal blend in smaller ensemble settings.
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Users in urban environments leverage the Greta's line-out for silent practice, pairing it with a Roland Micro-Cube for headphone use.
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The amp is praised for its dynamic and flexible sound, making it suitable for various playing styles just by adjusting string attack.
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Owners find the Greta amp excels at home volume levels, offering great overdrive and high gain tones, especially when paired with a T-Rex Mudhoney pedal.
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Mods and upgrades

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Owners recommend running the Greta through a cab with a single 12-inch speaker to significantly enhance its sound quality and output.
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Some owners prefer using the Greta through a 1x12 cabinet to enhance and clean up its sound profile for performances.
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Comparisons

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The Greta amp is likened to a built-in fuzz face, offering a range from clean to high drive tones by adjusting the guitar's volume knob.
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When connected to an extension cabinet, the Greta transitions from a novelty speaker to a more versatile amp, with users reporting improved sound quality and volume.
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The Greta sounds notably better with single coil pickups than humbuckers, with users noting clear cleans and compressed crunch tones.
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User experience

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Some users find the Greta's sound too loud when connected to a 12-inch cabinet, indicating a significant increase in volume and tonal presence.
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Owners note the Greta can output 1 watt at normal usage and 2 watts at 50% distortion, impacting how it performs at different volume settings.
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Value and pricing

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Owners have reported purchasing Greta amps for $150 to $200 used, with some acquiring them as floor models from small town music shops.
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Features and functionality

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The Greta's 4-inch speaker is noted for its distinctive sound, but connecting to a cabinet significantly enhances its tonal range and output.
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The Greta amp includes an aux-in, enabling it to function as a desk speaker, useful for transcribing music while playing guitar simultaneously.
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The Greta amp features a 12AX7 preamp tube and a 12AT7 output tube, visible through the top panel when removed.
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Critic Reviews

Fender Pawn Shop Special Greta review | MusicRadar

musicradar.com

With the Fender Pawn Shop Special Greta, nostalgia meets functionality in a compact, retro-inspired package. This 2-watt valve amp excels in producing clean tones and offers a surprising sonic punch for its size, making it a fun and stylish addition to any living room. While it shines with low to medium-gain tones, high-gain seekers might need additional equipment for that extra crunch. Its auxiliary input and line-out options add versatility, allowing users to connect to other devices and amps. Despite its limitations in dirtier tones, the Greta is a charming and affordable practice tool with a unique vintage flair.

positive

Full Review

Rex and the Bass: Fender Pawn Shop Special Greta Guitar Amplifier Review

rexbass.com

The Fender Pawn Shop Special Greta is a quirky practice amp with vintage aesthetics, ideal for casual living room sessions. While its compact size and unique styling appeal to the eye, its 2-watt output limits its use to small spaces. The amp quickly overdrives, but the resulting tone is harsh, and plugging into another cabinet reveals the limitations of its budget tubes. Its extra features, like speaker and line outs, seem unnecessary and misleading. Priced around $200, it suits those with modest expectations and a taste for its retro look.

neutral

Full Review

Fender Excelsior & Greta Amps: In-Depth Reviews - Premier Guitar

premierguitar.com

Fender's Pawn Shop Special Greta amp is a quirky, retro-styled 2-watt amp ideal for low-volume practice or recording lo-fi tones. While its design is imaginative, resembling a mid-century radio, it’s more about visual appeal than sonic excellence. The Greta shines with clean, mellow tones at low volumes, but its 4" speaker struggles with higher outputs, producing harsh sounds that may not please many players. The build quality is sturdy, though some materials feel cheap for its $199 price. Overall, it’s a niche product that might appeal to collectors or those seeking a unique practice amp.

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4.5 out of 5

Based on 1 Review and 9 Ratings

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miek1patt

over 9 years ago

A two tube, low watt charmer.

The shape - that's what got everybody talking in 2012. What kept them talking was that this was an all-tube amp with a built-in speaker, an external speaker output, a line-level output, and an 1/8" stereo input.

Play back a song while you're learning it? Sure. Get actual tube distortion instead of a simulation? No problem. Easy tube swapping without needing to re-bias? You-betcha. Change a tube without going broke? This is your amp. Love the tone, but need more volume? Plug the line-out into any amp you want.

I love this amp so much I bought a second one. The first recommendation I make to everyone: leave the back off. There aren't any exposed components that you could accidentally touch, and the tone improves immediately. The second recommendation: swap out the two tubes (12AX7, 12AT7) right away - the ones it comes with are placeholders, save them as last-ditch spares.