SCROOMS Instruments

Instruments are the catching tools in SCROOMS. Equip one from Equipment Bag → Instruments, play near a wild Scroom, tune to its frequency, and control the catch zone until the progress bar fills. The best instrument is the one that reaches your target’s band and fixes the part of the encounter you actually struggle with—not simply the most expensive card.

The official Instrumentalist badge confirms an ownership goal of 15 instruments. Current community records document more named tools across the Grove and later regions, but card values and even a few names disagree between sources. This hub separates stable acquisition roles from dated numbers and sends you to the right comparison.

Choose an instrument page

If you are buying your first upgrade, begin with the tier list. If you need a later tool or want to identify a quest reward, use the list. If the catch is failing and you do not know which number matters, use the stats guide.

Catching instruments versus utility gear

The Wooden Lute, Tamer’s Guitar, Adventurer’s Tambourine, Violin of Pilgrimage, and later regional instruments are catching tools. Their cards show attributes used during encounters. The Ocarina plays learned songs for travel and world interactions; it is unlocked through Halden’s statue quest and does not replace your catching instrument. Songtreads are boots for movement, not an instrument at all.

This distinction matters when an objective says “equip your instrument.” Having the Ocarina in hotbar slot 5 does not mean the Tamer’s Guitar or another catching tool is active. Open the bag, select Instruments, choose the card you want, press Equip, and close the bag when a tutorial objective expects that final step.

Opening upgrade path

Older coverage sometimes shows a different guitar price or Resonance line. Use the current shop panel during purchase. The important early route is stable: get the free Lute, finish the first catch and sale, buy the tutorial-requested Guitar, equip it, and close the bag.

Later instrument families

Current community records place purchased and quest tools in Bluestone Caverns, Sorin’s Respite, Sanctum Magus, and Tall Trees. Examples include Prospector’s Lute, Blackwood Fiddle, Deepchord, Lotus Hymn, Stillwater Flute, Sorin’s Last Verse, Soaring Tone, Runed Horn, Magus’ Requiem, The Red Wind, Autumn’s Grace, Heartwood Drum, Crooked Chime, and Ballad of Three Reigns.

Names anchored by official badges have stronger identity support. Runestriker confirms obtaining Deepchord, The Last Verse confirms Sorin’s Last Verse, The Magus’ Heir confirms the associated later quest, and Friend of the Tribe confirms Ballad of Three Reigns. A badge establishes the reward or accomplishment, not its current stat card or full route.

Pick by the problem you have

The frequency target is outside your reach. Compare Resonance and the target Index band. A later-region high-Resonance tool may be necessary.

Tuning takes too long. Compare Tune Speed. The official game description explicitly says faster Tune Speed shortens the tuning stage.

The Scroom escapes the moving zone. Compare control-oriented fields and read their live tooltips. Current guides associate Tension with how closely the target follows, but treat that as community reported until the game card explains it.

You are hunting rare variants. Compare Luck, but do not convert +40% Luck into a 40% chance for a named Fabled or Eversung. No supported public formula provides that conversion.

You miss the opening input. Compare Precision and practice the timing stage on a common Grove target before spending heavily.

Spend Chimes with a target

Do not buy every instrument simply because it appears in the next shop. Name the next objective: reach a higher frequency band, reduce tuning time, improve catch-zone control, or raise the printed Luck field for a collection hunt. Then compare the cost with the Chimes you need for quests or later access.

Keep a reserve when an active quest shows a payment. Current community routes report costs such as a 5,000-Chime offering in Fenna’s chain, a 16,000-Chime Deepchord purchase after its unlock route, and a later Deep Halls entry payment. Read the current quote before spending; those values are update-sensitive.

The Chimes guide helps build a budget without accidentally selling an active quest creature. Repeated catch-and-sell loops are safer than assuming a code will fund the purchase.

Test an upgrade fairly

Use the same species or frequency band before and after equipping the new tool. Compare the time needed to settle the waveform, the size or forgiveness of the opening timing, how the target behaves in the catch zone, and whether the instrument reaches the band at all. One successful catch is useful, but several attempts give a better feel for consistency.

Do not change instrument, area, target rarity, and control method at the same time. If the result improves, you will not know why. Change one tool, keep the task stable, and judge whether the upgrade solved the named problem.

Common equipment mistakes

Buying is not equipping. Open the bag and press Equip. Closing the bag can be a separate tutorial objective. The Ocarina is not the active catching instrument. A higher price does not guarantee higher Tune Speed. A large Luck line does not replace adequate Resonance. And a quest unlock may only grant access to buy an instrument rather than giving it free.

When a public table and your card differ, use your card. Record the date and region if you share the value. Do not average conflicting stats or copy a pre-launch number into a current comparison.

FAQ

What is the best first instrument upgrade?

The Tamer’s Guitar is the opening tutorial purchase and current launch guides report it at 100 Chimes. The Tambourine is a stronger documented Tune Speed/value step when you can afford 750 Chimes. Choose from the current cards.

Is the Ocarina a catching instrument?

No. It is a song-playing world tool unlocked from Halden. Keep a catching instrument equipped for wild Scrooms.

How many instruments are there?

The official Instrumentalist badge requires owning 15 instruments. Community directories document more named equipment entries when utility and later tools are included, so do not treat the badge number as a complete permanent catalog.

References

• Official SCROOMS description
• Official Instrumentalist and named reward badges
• Current community instrument directory
• Instrument cards and values