Using Maple Butcher Block Under a Turntable

Yes metal hole with a very hard rubber base

Does any one set their  TT spikes directly on the maple block?

I just did take the little spike stands away and rested the TT spikes on the maple block. Then I threaded up my 2 belts and now the motor pulley is too high for the platter and won't stay on. I remembered I had 3 small myrtlewood blocks and placed under the spikes. Put the belts on and I swear it sounded better than before. It doesn't make sense that by taking out that the half inch high dampened spike stands would make a difference but it was a positive one. A warmer sound with a richer bass. Tell me it's not true. But I was a happy listener all afternoon. I replayed U2 SBS which is a little dry and shrill anyway and now its much better.

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. 

Asahitoro. Don't bother with granite. Use 4 inch air dried maple from Mapleshade. I had wrote a long post but it got lost in a bad connection. Oh well. 

I googled Mapleshade and they use ambrosia maple which is any maple that has been infested with the ambrosia beetle. I don't know what exactly the type of maple they use and maples on the Janka scale vary quite a bit. So just guessing which maple, just look at what type of maple grows in Penn Amish country.

Brown maple is prevalent in Amish country with a hardness of 950 on the Banks scale which can go from 350 up to 4380. Its a soft maple from a quick look and guess on the world wide web