Turntable Stands?

I am looking for a good quality turntable and amplifier stand. Something that is NOT made of particle wood. Just a basic 36-41 inch tall wood stand made with real wood. I was looking at Salamander Designs. My local hi-fi dealer got me going on them by saying that he could get 30% off on a brand new stand that I could design on the Salamander site. He told me I could go home, design it at my leisure and then when I had the stand all ready the way I wanted it I could call him up and order. But by the time I called him back 2 days later that 30% off offer dried up to only 15% off. And while 15% off is still a great deal. Its not as sweet as 30%.
At 15% the Salamander stand is a little bit out of my price range. I could have done it for 30% but like I said. That offer is gone.
So is there anything out there similar to the Salamander Designs stands that is just as nice but cost less? I have noticed Crosley Stands on Amazon but to be honest. Most of them look like something my GrandMa would have in her living room.
The other option I was looking at was building my own.

 

have you thought about a local cabinet maker? you can design it yourself and have him build it. that is what we did for lots of things in our house. the last was a dining room table. we drew it out and told him what type of wood and we wanted to use and he built a beautiful table that we couldn't have found retail and it was exactly what we wanted and we didn't have to settle for something we found.

 

Not a bad idea. I hadnt thought of that.
I do consider myself more than capable when it comes to working with my hands. So I just jumped to the idea of doing it myself. I have noticed that just about everything you can buy nowadays is made of cheap particle wood and venere. And when it comes to stands for a component stereo the options are very slim...

 

try fibreboard and some diy design (many out there) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiberboard

 

Another possibility is antique type stores. If you happen to live in an area where antique furniture costs are low, go and check out some of the antique marble tables out there. Sometimes an end table type thing, sometimes not. They can be had cheap and usually you get a Louis the XV type marble stand that is just the right height and will weigh in at 50 pounds or so. And they will be made of hardwoods and not just a skin, like so much of today's furniture is. And it will hold the pounds of the turntable and has already lasted 125 years.

It has worked well for me for more than 30 years and I've had 2 turntables only---Oracle and VPI. Spend $$ on updating the tables, not audio furniture.

Amp stands are available and prices vary on them. But you want that turtable at the height you indicated. The antique stuff might help with the dreaded wife acceptance factor but amp stands will have a tougher time with that WAF.