When you thermally modify wood the mechanical and acoustical properties of the wood are altered. Due to this there is a new industry emerging in the musical instrument manufacturing business utilizing thermally modified wood.

A common thread manufacturers have been commenting on is that thermally modified wood helps project a vintage-like tone to the instrument when played while reducing the amount of time the wood would have to age naturally to achieve this same result. Time has shown that properly aged wood provides a richer tone then wood that has not when the instrument is played. So why the difference in the acoustics? Researchers suggests this is caused by the reinforcement of the carbon fiber within the wood which increases the static and dynamical properties after the thermal modification of the wood has been completed.

Once the wood has been thermally modified it makes the wood largely immune to the effects of humidity change resulting in a more consistent result when the instrument is played due to the wood not being able to absorb and release moisture of any significance.

Thermally modified wood tops are becoming increasingly popular with acoustic guitar makers today. The ideal guitar top is dry, stiff and lightweight which helps capture the strings reverberations.Once deemed only for the top end guitar instruments the popularity and increasing supply of thermally modified wood material has helped in moderating the cost which has allowed for more affordable models to become available.

As thermally modified wood gains in popularity there are emerging uses that can accommodate different kinds of wood applications. Musical instruments are just one of many products that thermally modified wood is being utilized in today.