Using Maple Butcher Block Under a Turntable

Yep it made a difference for sure. Thanks for agreeing. Now I really want to couple directly to the maple bypassing the myrtle Wood blooks. Just need a longer screw spike to raise the AS TT high enough for the belts. 

Butcher block on cork fiber. Great isolation. 

I use a 19.5" x 16.25" x 3.5" maple block on cork/rubber in a SolidSteel WS-5 wall shelf (have also use sorbothane disks under the block). My Clearaudio Ovation sits on top of that. However, when I had it made I had it done as an edge grain. Now I am talking to Butcher Block Acoustics about making me a custom end-grain 3" maple block in the same size.
I am also planning to audition a set of HRS Nimbus feet to see if it improves the system further.

Anyone have thoughts on using maple vs cherry vs walnut for a butcher block base? Maple is harder than the other two (Janka scale for maple 1450, walnut 1010, cherry 950). Cherry would match my system the best. I guess my real question is how important is the relative hardness of maple, or does one just begin to arrive at dimishing returns for a certain hardness? I'm going to put a 40 lb. unsprung TT on it.

So I asked this question to "Butcher Block Acoustics" & he stated the softer the wood the warmer the sound. I'm currently using walnut for my preamp base. Can't say I've done any "A" / "B" type testing with maple, but it is better in my system than the granite I was using before. It may be a bit warmer, but where it excels is soundstage width, depth, & definition.