What I just learned is that the process is being used by Martin and Taylor to treat spruce used for their guitars' soundboards. At Martin, the result is the sound of a played-in guitar...a new guitar with wood that is similar to 100 year old or older wood because of the reduction in moisture and the resulting change in the wood's cell structure. This artificial aging of the wood is said to make new guitars "more alive, awake and responsive." It also means the tops do not react to changes in humidity.
This link details some amazing, to me, characteristics of these guitars; http://onemanz.com/guitar/articles-2/torrefication/
"It takes a lot of devotion and work, or maybe I should say play, because if you love it, that's what it amounts to. I haven't found any shortcuts, and I've been looking for a long time."
-- Chet Atkins
-- Chet Atkins