You know, vinyl was my hobby for a long time. Well, at least I can say that being interested in “having vinyl as a hobby” is my hobby. It always sounded too expensive, complex and kinda posh.
You never know where to start, how to choose your vinyl player, where to buy all the needed stuff.
Fortunately, there is an easy way to see if listening to vinyl at home is really worth your time and effort. And by that, I, of course, mean building your own vintage styled gramophone that was made by our good friends in ROKR.
| Information | Description |
|---|---|
| Name: | Classic Gramophone |
| Brand: | ROKR (Robotime) |
| Level (Complexity): | Complex (8) |
| Type: | Wooden 3D Puzzle |
| Object: | Assemble the puzzle and play music! |
| Number of components: | 424 |
| Estimated time: | 8-10 hours (2-3 sessions) |
| Size: | 226*261*429 mm |
| Packaging: | Cardboard Box (317*235*83 mm) |
| Materials used: | High Quality Plywood, Metal, Electronics |
| Where to Buy: | RORK Website / PuzzleMaster / Amazon |
About ROKR Gramophone Puzzle
One thing I love about ALL ROKR models is that those are really up the game when it comes to the innovative and cool looking puzzles.
Really, a gramophone? A WORKING Gramophone even. That’s crazy, to say the least. And I am not even mentioning the famous Vitascope!
In any case — here we have a Wooden 3D Puzzle by ROKR — Classic Gramophone that comes in both hand crank and electric versions.
The models consist of 424 pieces and will be a challenge to assembly especially if you don’t have any experience. There are a lot of tricky parts where you need to bend the wooden parts to make curves and that can be quite challenging if you do it without proper preparation and experience.
What is in the box:
Other than that — there are some electronic parts that you may get confused with, so it is always good to try yourself in something easier first — for example ROKR Orpheus Steampunk Music Box.
Nevertheless, I have to admit that it looks stunning to say the least. The horn is quite big and stands out while the base of the gramophone sports an amazing baroque styled design that is also reminiscent of steampunk aesthetics of the Victorian era.
Features
The gramophone comes with 7″ vinyl record (3 songs) that you can test it with:
- The Merry Gent by Alan Moorhouse
- Memory Of A Dance by Maurice Jarre
- The Giant Killers by Len Stevens
All these are classical melodies that will definitely add to the atmosphere of Victorian England.
Obviously, the hand crank version needs to be put in motion by the user. I have found that the overall speed that you need to rotate the handle to get the more or less steady and listenable output is quite fast, so you will obviously get tired after a minute or two.
The electric version solves that problem obviously by utilizing the mechanism inside to rotate the handle itself after a wind up or by using a battery to power the gramophone for longer periods of time.
You can manually control the volume through the knob. There is also a micro USB port, which can be connected to an external power supply to reduce the intensity of the hand crank.
There are also 3 rotating disks that will enable you to play 7-inch and 10-inch records.
I think it can be a cool gift OR a nice practice before you take on a real big boys gramophone
Conclusion
- It is a beautiful model, but obviously not a real gramophone. The volume produced by it and the quality of the music is not that great. Nevertheless, it is not the point because surely making your own gramophone would be much harder than just assembling 424 pieces from wood.
- I’d say that the sole fact that it can produce music from a vinyl record is amazing.
- Then again, the looks are stunning, and this 3D Wooden Model gives a great challenge for anyone.
Where to Buy ROKR Gramophone
One more thing
- Based on the real model of the first Gramophone invented by Thomas Edison
- No glue required for assembly
- LKB01 – Mechanical version, LKB01D – Electric version.
- If you want to upgrade your Mechanical version you can always buy Electric Refitting Pack LKB01M (Apply to Hand-Rotating Gramophone) as add-on.
BONUS – Mini Gramophone Model
There is also one model that is worth mentioning here, but I don’t think it deserves a separate review. Rolife Gramophone is a mini version of the classical one. Certainly, it lacks any mechanical parts and is basically a nice eye candy for your shelf.
It consists of 122 pieces, so, obviously — it will be much easier for you to assemble. The size of the Rolife Gramophone when assembled is 112*102*185 mm.
If you have any questions please leave a comment and we will be happy to answer and add it to article👍
