[julian_t]

Synthetic aging... there's quite a lot of this going on in the guitar world. On the purely cosmetic level, you can find a lot of 'relic' electric guitars, made to look like they've been on the road since the 60s. Some acoustic makers are experimenting with torrefaction and other techniques to age the top wood, and opinions are divided on whether this makes any difference.

But I'm just a pleb here... if an instrument feels good to play and sounds good, then that'll do!

[jdietrich]

Cosmetic ageing processes are broadly regarded as distasteful amongst collectors and connoisseurs, but there's clearly a market for it.

Torrefaction (or rather an optimised heat treatment process) can undoubtedly produce clear acoustic benefits. Suitable thermal treatment can significantly increase the stiffness and reduce the damping coefficient of wood, resulting in a more acoustically efficient material.

[guappa]

It makes a difference in price for sure :)