Thick 2" maple amp platform--couple or isolate?

I can understand how the amount and type of varnish used on a violin might change its tone a tad, I assume by altering is resonant frequency. I can't begin to understand how the type of finish on a two inch thich slab of hard wood is going to creat any audible difference, including changing its resonant frequency.

If I had to speculate, I would think that you'd want the wood to absorb vibrations from the amp and floor, acting sort of as a buffer. As such, it would seem to me that the most aborbent finish would be no finish at all. The harder the finish the less it will absorb high frequency vibrations, in fact at some point if the wood or its surface is hard enuf it will ring like glass or stone. JMHO.

What about a sandwiched platform: Corion, 2 inch maple, and an MDF or high grade 3/4 inch marine plywood layer in the middle? Or some other variety of heterogeneous layers, possibly bonded with epoxy.

I used 2" maple block for years and it was terrific. I do agree to use decouplers under the amps and my strongest recommendation is to consider the Aurios Pro MIB. IMO there isn't a better one on the market

Guidocorona
That sounds like a terrific idea,have you or anybody you know done it?Any more detailed info?
Oneobgyn
The maple blocks that are shown on Boa2 link are IMO pretty much easy to make.Basically long pieces of maple glued and clamped together,then sanded and corners being eased off with a router.The maple box is a little more challenging with the dovetails locked corners.Thanks for the Aurios suggestion,I think I will get some used.

George

George, no I have not heard anyone constructing stands with heterogeneous materials sandwiches. Here are a couple of related ideas for composite platforms:
1. Timbernation offers already some nice stands made from a triple layer of 1 inch thick maple boards, running front to back. The idea of the multiple layers is of course to break the continuity of the grain hence reduce sound wave propagation. One possible improvement to this concept is to turn the middle layer at 90 degrees, thus with the grain running left to right. This should further increase rigidity and further dampen vibrations.
2. Related to the previous idea is simply to take several sheets of marine grade plywood and bond them to a thickness of 3 to 4 inches. As plywood is formed by multiple crossgrained and bonded layers of wood veneer to start with, the resulting composite structure should prove extremely rigid and well dampened.