FS: Bill Beard BB100 50 Watt Valve Integrated Amplifiier.

[User211]

Up for grabs is my Britsh Built Audiphile Products Bill Beard BB100. Better looking than most women - face it

This amp is a 50 Watt push pull design and to my eyes one of the best looking valve amps I've ever seen. It just looks brilliant - especially at nigh with all 18 valves glowing away.

I've owned it for 20+ years. This one is NOT standard and has had quite a bit of work done on it. Specifically:

1) I replaced the reservoir caps with new BHA ones.
2) 12 220uf Rubycon caps replaced with ELNA cerafine of the same rating. I reckon the sound marginally better than the Rubycons.
3) All Alps volume pots, which had gotten noisy, replaced with brand new ones.
4) Original Russian valves are now JJs with low hours.
5) All preamp section valves are Mullard CV types. These are very nice indeed and the JJ/Mullard combo is the best I have heard this amp sound.

Various other capacitors and resistors replaced - quite a few. 30+ items, probably - maybe more.

It has just been for a service at TubeFix. In other words, it has been checked with proper test kit and it is running ABSOLUTELY as it should do. The work done by TubeFix can be seen in the photo.

If you're worried, talk to Gary at http://www.tubefix.co.uk/, who I highly recommend. He knows the amp now, has a copy of my manual and circuit diagram, and if there is ever a problem, I'm sure he'll put it right.

Here is a Ken Kessler review: http://www.beardaudio.com/bb100-hfn.pdf

I will include a mass of well used Russian EL84s for free, the manual and circuit diagrams (which Gary found essential), the cage for the amp (I haven't taken any photos of it but if anyone is interested I will do). I also have ECC82 and ECC81 valves from Philips and others if you want to buy those too and do some rolling.

Please note that the transformer covers are NOT standard. The amp is such a looker I had a custom motorbike shop chrome them for me at some cost. They look massively better than the original raw metal ones, and really lift the amp aesthetically.

A true beauty, in better condition visually than any other BB100 I have seem. And in top notch working condition too.

Therefore, with all the work done on it, I want more than the £750 these things usually seem to attract. Most aren't in this condition and don't have the cage. Most will probably have issues and won't last without attention. I also have the original box, but it is not in good condition.

Price? Ball rolling at £1100. Pics to follow.

I haven't used this amp much for 10 years. It won't power big planar speakers but it will work well with 4 Ohm ESLs that aren't too inefficient, which the manual specifically states. Quads, for instance. It was very good with ProAc 2.5s and should work very well with dynamic speakers that need 50 Watts or less.