Using Maple Butcher Block Under a Turntable

@noromance The table rests on three original Stillpoints.  I doan need no steenkin mat. 

All kidding aside, the previous owner of the table saw this thread ad gave me a call over the weekend.  Made a couple of suggestions.  Both have improved the sound and reduced the magnitude of the warmth I was trying to address.  Still room for more tweaks.  

@slaw Yup. 10". Seems to work fine with the overhang. I wanted to get the Resomat but he's retired from making them.

@bpoletti yes but it is the wood that makes it sluggish. Try the stillpoints on granite blocks..I beg you!! And spill the beans on what you did.

ya, i just have a 2" maple butcher block under my VPI Scoutmaster II.
I am just using the cork and rubber squares: about 1" cubed. its good, but not the best. 
vibrapods are good as well.

but with a blank butcher block, you can drill 3-4 holes to install spikes.
e.g, from Dayon Audio or Parts express. but you will want to use a drill press to make sure the holes are perfectly straight, so that your spikes are perfectly straight. 

1. drill hole in the block
2. install metal female outside threaded piece into the hole you drilled.
3 . screw in the metal spikes. 
4. put metal discs under the spikes if you like

I've done this, worked for me

Curious as to why you would consider putting your turntable on a slab of wood? Does it matter if it's currently sitting on a metal table? Is that why?

Placed the maple butcher block on three cones solid brass (facing up) on the top of the record shelves (same shelf / position as before).  Placed the Aries Extended on the butcher block.  Put three stillpoints under the table at the approximate position as the cones under the bb.  Adjusted for level.  

There was an improvement.  Dynamics seemed a bit shrper, bass a bit tighter.  The subtle warmth around the lower registers of a harp and clarinet was reduced providing more detail, particularly woodiness of the clarinet.  

Maybe the soundstage was improved.  Maybe.  Maybe the imaging was a little tighter.  Maybe.  Maybe tenor and also voices were a little more natural (less chesty, but since its vocals, who know what they REALLY sound like live).  Maybe.

My conclusion is that the ~ $120 investment was worth it.  

I do intend to try a set of dedicated rigid shelves that are "coned" directly into the concrete floor with the table sitting in a configuration with the maple bb like above.  Not sure there is much room for improvement, but it might be worth a try.