Is a GREAT turntable under $2000 possible???

Any opinions on putting the Technics TT on a piece of Mapleshade for vibration issues or not necessary. It's going to sit on the stereo cabinet below the tv. Interested if anyone has a thought on this. Thanks!

You could find a very nice Thorens TD-124 or TD-125 for that much money. There was a version of the 125 that Thorens built that came with a 12 inch SME tonearm. Buy a Schiit Mani, and if that seems too budget there's a company that makes an external PSU for it.

Vibration/resonance control is what all turntables are trying to achieve as they go about tracking the previous grooves. It's an endlessly complicated business, but basically you might want to help lower the already good resonance floor of the Technics a bit further (let's say -10Hz where deck/cartridge resonance starts creeping). 

The lighter the structure the better it normally filters out traffic rumble etc, but movement is a no-no. That's why shelves can be difficult to get right - the wall is usually moving too much.

Huge mass can help with keeping it still, but it depends upon where your turntable lives. It might be worth checking if you could find an phone app to measure surface resonance before placing down your deck. That could take away a lot of the guesswork. 

Have fun! Always, always have fun with audio.

Thank you @cd318 for you insight.

Clearaudio Concept