The Malekko Spring Chicken is a compact spring reverb pedal from Malekko Heavy Industry. It is built around just two knobs, Cluck and Dwell, and it is designed to be pushed past ordinary spring sounds: experimented with, it produces self-oscillation and what Pedal of the Day's reviewer called otherworldly echoes and oscillation123.
The controls: Cluck and Dwell
The pedal has two knobs, and each source describes them in slightly different but consistent terms1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Cluck | Adjusts the level of reverb1; the wet/dry reverb mix amount2; controls the amount of reverb the pedal puts out at any given time3 |
| Dwell | The reverb feedback amount2; controls the wetness of the reverberated signal and also the bounce and length of the signal3 |
Cluck is the main control. Pedal of the Day's reviewer, Mike B, described the pedal as "capable of going from an awesome surf rock or country pickin' sound to an enormous springy soundscape, with just the turn of the Cluck knob"3. Dwell is the more interactive of the two: it shapes how bouncy and how long the reverberated signal is, not just how much of it there is23.
Expression pedal input and self-oscillation
The newer version of the Spring Chicken was upgraded with an optional Expression Pedal input, which controls the reverb swells and allows hands-free adjustment of the effect3. Malekko's own description says you can "plug in an expression pedal for hands-free control and create giant swells and wild oscillations"1. For players who want to ride the reverb with their foot, a dedicated expression pedal is the pairing the pedal was designed for.
The self-oscillation is the pedal's distinguishing trait. Pushed with the controls, it produces echoes and oscillation beyond a normal spring reverb3.
"The self-oscillation really makes this pedal unique, and the ability to control it with your foot is just an added bonus."
Where it came from
Delicious Audio, writing when the pedal was introduced in October 2014, noted that the Spring Chicken was developed using experience from the Spring pedal's miniature circuit and the rest of Malekko's Omicron series2. A Spring Chicken LTD edition also exists1.
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Questions
Does the Malekko Spring Chicken have an expression pedal input?
The newer version of the Spring Chicken was upgraded with an optional Expression Pedal input. According to Pedal of the Day, it controls the reverb swells and allows hands-free adjustment of the effect. Malekko's own material says you can plug in an expression pedal for hands-free control and create giant swells and wild oscillations. Earlier versions did not include this input.
What does the Cluck knob do on the Spring Chicken?
Cluck is the pedal's main control. Delicious Audio describes it as the wet/dry reverb mix amount, while RockBoard's PedalPedia says it adjusts the level of reverb. Pedal of the Day's reviewer put it simply: it controls the amount of reverb the pedal puts out at any given time. Turn it up and the spring character takes over the sound.
What does the Dwell knob do on the Spring Chicken?
Dwell is the reverb feedback amount, in Delicious Audio's description. Pedal of the Day's reviewer found it interactive: in addition to controlling the wetness of the reverberated signal, it also controls the bounce and length of the signal. Together with Cluck it shapes how springy and how long the reverb sits behind your playing.
Can the Spring Chicken self-oscillate?
Yes. Pedal of the Day's reviewer found the pedal will produce otherworldly echoes and oscillation when experimented with, and called the self-oscillation the thing that really makes this pedal unique. With the newer version's expression pedal input, that oscillation can be controlled with your foot.
Is the Spring Chicken good for surf and country tones?
Pedal of the Day's reviewer described the pedal as capable of going from an awesome surf rock or country pickin' sound to an enormous springy soundscape, with just the turn of the Cluck knob. The short, bouncy end of its range suits those styles, while higher settings push it into much larger spring territory.
Sources (3)
- Spring Chicken by Malekko, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Malekko Spring Chicken, Delicious Audio, 2014-10-07
- Malekko Heavy Industry Spring Chicken Reverb, Pedal of the Day, 2015-05-16
