Torrefied Guitar Tops

[William2]

Are torrefied guitar tops less likely to crack? I assume they are dried out, but does that mean they are less likely to absorb moisture? Are there disadvantages to torrefying?  I just bought a guitar with a torrefied top.

[Queequeg]

I believe that this is true- less likely to crack from low humidity, however probably more likely to crack from bumps and/or drops because that wood becomes brittle through the baking process.
What did you get, William?
Let us know what you think.

[William2]

I picked up an Eastman E-20DL. I wanted an instrument with an Adirondack top. I was initially going to get an all-mahogany instrument. I've had all hogs before but never ended up playing them as much as a spruce topped instrument. I like the clarity but miss the overtones. My dealer handles Larrivee, Eastman and others. But he really liked this E-20D for its long sustain. I had been thinking about something smaller but then I thought why? I like big guitars with standard scale. I was looking at the Furch Vintage 2 and 3 which he has also has in left hand. I love that finish on the Vintage line. And I love the balance over the entire range of the instrument. So, Dave sent me and audio of both instruments titled Eastman vs Furch. After recording one of the instruments, he said "and now instrument 2." I told him I like the full round tones of the first instrument and the clear balanced sound of the second. He said "well, I thought you wanted a different top". So, he wasn't trying to trick me, and I did want an Adi top, so I got the first instrument. It does have a nice sustain but so does my Larrivee D-40R which I've played for 6 years. I would say there is some sort of snap to the attack that is punchier than a spruce top. So, this is different and I like the overtones of the Adi / rosewood combination which will work well with what my repertoire is. Viewing recent reviews of Eastman, they impressed me by their attention to detail (see the recent Driftwood Guitar review of the cheapest Eastman model). The instrument seems lighter than my earlier instruments I had from Eastman. The E-20D weighs the same as my Larrivee D-40R. My early Eastman E-00R seemed so heavy for a small instrument but I liked the Adi top it had. Well, all Eastman's have this torrefied top now and I was just wondering if they held up better from cracking. Not that I worry, I keep ev3erything in a controlled environment. This might be the last guitar. I'm getting too old to keep doing this or waiting for something.  Dave did tell me he thought I made the right choice between Furch and Eastman. That Furch would have been too much like what I currently have.

[B0WIE]

 It may, but I wouldn't consider that a reason to buy a baked top unless you're traveling. If you have humidity issues it's going to show up in other ways too. As was mentioned, it's very brittle so be careful not to bump it or drop a tool on it.
The process was designed for things like decks and patio furniture. It was initially sold to the guitar market with the idea that it will give you the sound of an aged guitar. It doesn't really do that because that's not how wood ages. It does sound different but there's no consensus on it being better or worse. The guitar still has to go through the process of the woods relaxing into their new form.