Danelectro reissues Spring King as compact Spring King Junior
December 1, 2024 · 2 sources
Danelectro announced the Spring King Junior (SKJ-1), a compact version of its 1999 Spring King spring reverb pedal, in December 2024. The pedal was announced on the brand's Instagram account and was available at retailers at the time of the reports1.
The original Spring King, which debuted in 1999, housed an actual spring reverb tank inside the pedal and gained a following for recreating the spring reverb sounds of the 1950s in pedal form rather than in a combo amp2. It also had a dedicated "kick pad" on the housing, which let players disturb the spring for reverb clank, rumbles and wobbles2. MusicRadar describes the original as a "retro cult classic" with a buttercream enclosure and a "spring pad" arcade-style footswitch1.
The Junior keeps the same three-spring mechanical reverb as the original1 and, per Gearnews, the same analog spring reverb in a more compact format2. The control set is reduced: the 1999 model had three knobs, Volume (for wet/dry mix), Tone and Reverb, and the Junior omits the Volume control2. MusicRadar describes two black chickenhead dials for Reverb and Tone plus a footswitch, which it calls soft-touch1. A small indicator light beneath the Tone knob lights when the pedal is engaged2. Gearnews writes that the Junior retains the predecessor's warmth and subtle warbles, and that it can still be kicked for reverb tank splashes2.
MusicRadar reported the pedal available now at retailers including Sweetwater and Thomann, and noted it was not yet on the Danelectro site1.
"The spring is the thing… Even better than the 1999 original!"
Gearnews describes the Junior as suited to 1950s and 1960s surf-style reverb tones2. MusicRadar writes that it can be dialed in for first-wave rock 'n' roll and rockabilly riffs, and that real spring reverb can sweeten a jazz guitar tone1. Both are the publications' own assessments.