Ordering a Bokrand Tonearm

[Bjorkvald]

Thank you for your views on this!
Waiting more than six months I wouldn´t recommend anyone buying a tonearm from Alfred. Paying for one and not recieving it makes it very much not worth it! In this thread one can find people that ordered later than me that has got their arms delievered. I´ve pretty much given up on this and I´m thinking about getting a Groovemaster instead. Any thoughts?

Thats what I dont get either, maybe different specs have different issues, but kind of weird if delivery is not depending on date ordered.? Or even close to it.
lets hope we are soon happy owners, I just bought a SPU to go with it, that I cant use as of now, so hoping for the best.

 

[Walter66]

If Alfred has parts for one type of tonearm, he builds a small batch of them. That's the reason, why ordering and delivering can be different with different types of tonearms. Alfred needs old tonearms to modify them and build something new with it. I don't know where he obtains those, but there could be greater problems to get them. Tonearm tubes are made by his own, but the base is modded old parts combined with new ones.
That is a very hard business today, Its a marvel how he does this at all. Nobody else does it that way and sells from internet. It's a great chance for people to get a good tonearm for a very low price. At least it was for some customers in the past, I don't want to recommend doing business with him after the stories here. It's just the way I see his business model, and it was super smart to do it this way.

 

[Robert Young]

If Alfred has parts for one type of tonearm, he builds a small batch of them. That's the reason, why ordering and delivering can be different with different types of tonearms. Alfred needs old tonearms to modify them and build something new with it. I don't know where he obtains those, but there could be greater problems to get them. Tonearm tubes are made by his own, but the base is modded old parts combined with new ones.
That is a very hard business today, Its a marvel how he does this at all. Nobody else does it that way and sells from internet. It's a great chance for people to get a good tonearm for a very low price. At least it was for some customers in the past, I don't want to recommend doing business with him after the stories here. It's just the way I see his business model, and it was super smart to do it this way.

I think if you just consider the time as part of the deal, it is still an incredible bargain. I waited 9 months for an early Schroeder Reference, and it didn't bother me one bit, knowing they re hand made, and the desire for one is high. The Bokrand was 1/10 the price, and performs at 95% of the Schroeder, is hand-made, and the desire is high... The wait just isn't that big a deal, and the investment-to-joy ratio is extremely high.

 

[Kjetil]

Alfred has been away but as of today I can confirm that he is back on the grid.

 

[Walter66]

When I did chased after used classical records, once I came about some really nice offers from switzerland. After ordering, some time nothing happened. Then I contacted the seller, wanted to cancel the deal. He replied, that he's an old man, just can't find the records at the moment and will try to find them in short time.So I waited, nothing happened. Because I had mercy with old people, which have to sell their records to get money on ebay, I did not interfere and wanted to give him more time. Then I ordered another record from him, thinking that with this third record, the whole story came back to his mind and he would now try to fulfill my two standing orders. But again, nothing happened.

Since that time, I just think that some people are eihter not being able to sell the things they offered or they are mentally ill, not recognizing what they do. In both cases, it's been scamming other people and they are internet fraudster. I never heard of this seller again and it was too late to gave negative feedback on ebay. I learned my lesson, never deal with unreliable people. They are just not professionals and may scam other people. And even if it's just by coincident.

 

[Walter66]

Since October, Alfred sold fourteen tonearms on ebay. Thats impressive for just two month, he must have a huge stock on those parts that made the base of his modded new tonearms. I have no idea who supplies him with such a massive amount of old tonearms. Or does he canibalize record players just for the parts? In the end, he must sell more than fifty of them in one year. That's not any longer a private business, it's a professional manufacture factory. Finally he seems to have made the step to the pro-side of the business. Not bad for an elderly retired person.

 

[adrianywu]

I must say the more I listen to my Bokrand tonearm, the more amazed I am with the sound quality. It has a very solid bottom end and very low distortion. I just don't know how people can live with 9" tonearms. I don't have a lot of experience with ultra-expensive arms, but I can say that the Bokrand is superior to the Graham 2.2 I have owned in the past, and even the SME 3012R.

 

[bonzo75]

I would be interested in any compare to FR 64s.

 

[Kjetil]

Telefunken S500 and S600 players were sold with OEM AS-212 arms. I believe those are a good source for Alfred.

Must add that that we’ve had no feedback from Alfred since my last entry, but my friend has received his Garrard 401. While we wait for my 230 and his 309 Banana I borrow his SME 309. Lucky me.

 

[gramofonia]

I'm really interested in this tonearm but this thread user experience with delivery and lack of communcation is putting me off. The price versus performance is unbeatable though.

I will receive my plinth for a Audio Grail Garrard 301 in two-three weeks. I have SME 309 with Soundsmith Paua MKII that sits on my GyroSE. I could use it for the time being but I haven't seen any SME 309 fitted on Garrards. What do you guys think, should I dare and order AS-309 from Alfred?

 

[Walter66]

I'm really interested in this tonearm but this thread user experience with delivery and lack of communcation is putting me off. The price versus performance is unbeatable though.

I will receive my plinth for a Audio Grail Garrard 301 in two-three weeks. I have SME 309 with Soundsmith Paua MKII that sits on my GyroSE. I could use it for the time being but I haven't seen any SME 309 fitted on Garrards. What do you guys think, should I dare and order AS-309 from Alfred?

The perfect match for an old idler is a twelve incher. This is, because the tonearm base needs some space to the vibrant motor unit and old pick up systems often needs a high mass tonearm to match with their needle complicance. But if you want to use more modern, lightweigt systems, you can go for a lightweight tonearm. But that implies even more problems with the rumble of the player system.
Alfreds tonearms are very good and do match a price point, which seem to be unbeatable. But if you are prone for a nervous breakdown after a delivery time lag, this has to be considered.

 

[gramofonia]

The perfect match for an old idler is a twelve incher. This is, because the tonearm base needs some space to the vibrant motor unit and old pick up systems often needs a high mass tonearm to match with their needle complicance. But if you want to use more modern, lightweigt systems, you can go for a lightweight tonearm.

I do want a 12' tonearm and SPU to go along with it. That's the main reason I got 301 to be honest. I'm thinking AS-309, Shick or Groovemaster. The price for AS-309 is really appealing but I'm not sure I can handle one more long wait as I have done with the plinth.

 

[Walter66]

Telefunken S500 and S600 players were sold with OEM AS-212 arms. I believe those are a good source for Alfred.

Must add that that we’ve had no feedback from Alfred since my last entry, but my friend has received his Garrard 401. While we wait for my 230 and his 309 Banana I borrow his SME 309. Lucky me.

That's quite an interesting business model. Buying old record players in quantity and remodeling the tonearm for selling them with profit without the rest of the player system.
But I'm not able to source fifty of those Ortofon tonearms nor can I find fifty of those used Telefunken record players.
The question remains, where does he get such a massive and constantly upgraded stock of those old parts for tonearms? And his business is located in spain, a country not famous for such a production of tonearms or record players. So he has to import them, too.

 

[je2a3]

I'm really interested in this tonearm but this thread user experience with delivery and lack of communcation is putting me off. The price versus performance is unbeatable though.

I will receive my plinth for a Audio Grail Garrard 301 in two-three weeks. I have SME 309 with Soundsmith Paua MKII that sits on my GyroSE. I could use it for the time being but I haven't seen any SME 309 fitted on Garrards. What do you guys think, should I dare and order AS-309 from Alfred?

Even if I'm a happy user of an AB309 and AS309, I can understand your trepidation. If I was in the same situation as you now, I'd consider the Sorane TA-1L. I never heard this tonearm but have a friend who's very happy with his TA-1L purchase.

 

[je2a3]

I would be interested in any compare to FR 64s.

FWIW, even if I've heard the FR64s in friends' hifi systems, I never had a chance to compare it to my FR64fx in my own set up. All I know is, I much prefer my Bokrands over my '64fx, which for all of its virtues (detailed, analytical, great bass, etc.) I found to be a bit dry sounding.

 

[Fishfood]

I'm really interested in this tonearm but this thread user experience with delivery and lack of communcation is putting me off. The price versus performance is unbeatable though.

I will receive my plinth for an Audio Grail Garrard 301 in two-three weeks. I have SME 309 with Soundsmith Paua MKII that sits on my GyroSE. I could use it for the time being but I haven't seen any SME 309 fitted on Garrards. What do you guys think, should I dare and order AS-309 from Alfred?

I would do it! Even if it takes 3 months or more, even if you decide you don't want it because it took too long it's such an easy resell. I recently received a AB309 and it compares very favorably to my 3012R

 

[Walter66]

Some cartridges depend heavily on the tonearm bearings. A SME with it's bronze knife bearing isn't optimum for them, and the Bokrand use Ortofon bearings. That's why you prefer it in terms of sound.

 

[je2a3]

Some cartridges depend heavily on the tonearm bearings. A SME with it's bronze knife bearing isn't optimum for them, and the Bokrand use Ortofon bearings.

You're on to something here. Having used both the SME 3012 and Ortofon RMG309 since the 90s, I like both but they're different. IME and opinion, the Bokrand is closer in character to the RMG309 while the SME 3012 shares some sonic flavors with the Stax UA3NL.

 

[gramofonia]

Even if I'm a happy user of an AB309 and AS309, I can understand your trepidation. If I was in the same situation as you now, I'd consider the Sorane TA-1L. I never heard this tonearm but have a friend who's very happy with his TA-1L purchase.

For fun I have sent some random questions regarding continuous wiring version of the AS-309 and Garrard 301. He replied after few hours which is perfectly fine. I might place a order for a AS-309, with continuous wiring from Cartridge to RCA's.

 

[Lee Henley]

I would be interested in any compare to FR 64s.

I have put an order in for a Bokrand 12" arm, hoping that it will be here sometime end of Jan or early Feb 23. As you know I have a FR64s so your more than welcome to come over when the arm arrives