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what is the theory behind maple stands and racks?

I have not "heard" a maple amp stand or rack - using Billy Bags products now, which are made from steel and mdf - but don't grasp why maple would be a good material to use - quite the opposite. Maple is used for some electric guitars because it "rings" - it is very dense and causes notes to sustain, which is to say, it continues to vibrate for a long time. This would seem to be exactly the opposite of what one wants in a stand or a rack. If there is some claim that vibration is "drained away", well, if the rack is continuing to ring, that would likely cause acoustical feedback - the equipment isn't isolated from the thing it is sitting on. Can anyone who is not a vendor of these things explain the why of it, or relate positive experiences that seem to have a basis in fact?
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chashas1
596 posts
 
Thanks, I'm going to try that. I've heard of others using bamboo, and it's a lot cheaper than maple.
photonman
96 posts
 
I had my lil' Paradigm Studio 20's on 2" thick maple with brass feet and tilted up and I can swear they sounded almost as good as my new floor standers sitting on the same tile floor with only brass footers. They were detailed and really smooth and really nice to listen to.

Because of that past experience, I am back in the market to get some platforms for my new floor standers.

I am considering 1" TerraStone from Eden Sound or 4" maple.

Synthetic fancy "plastic" vs. real wood, not sure.
guidocorona
4,298 posts
 
Hi Photonman, I have never heard of "TerraStone from Eden Sound"...

But here is the URL....

http://edensoundaudio.com/FAQ_TerraStones.html

The product line is intriguing.... Whether it works better/worse than maple bases, or Adona bases, or HRS... I have no idea.

GUido
goofyfoot's avatar
goofyfoot
1,370 posts
 
Thanks Guidocorona for your comments concerning string instruments. Funny as it may seem, some violins are now being constructed out of graphite. There are no worries over temperature or humidity but I believe most string players would prefer a natural wood sound over the graphite sound. Using graphite for building violins seems odd as some record mats and isolation cones are also made with graphite. So does graphite in some way offer the best of both worlds with respect to resonating and decoupling?
I knew someone who owned a beautiful sounding guitar made of course, from Brazilian Rosewood and I'm not convinced that other woods can achieve this quality but it's still too early to tell.
My other question involves varnish. As you know a Stradivarius is a Stradivarius because of its ground and varnish. How do certain finishes add or take away or alter wood TT plinths, decoupling platforms, etc...?
photonman
96 posts
 
Yo Guido,

I am not crazy about the idea of "plastic" platforms as wood has more of a romance to it. The advantage of the plastic is that I would only need a 1" plinth according to Eden whereas with the maple, 4" was recommended which wood really make my tower speakers TOWERS.

I have lots of Eden brass footers on my equipment and the guy is really great to work with as far as customizations go.

Goofy,
I saw a show about the Stradivarius violins and I vaguely remember what was the cause of the unique sound and how it has not been duplicated to date. Maybe it was something with the varnish? darn, now I will have to google it.
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