wood question for callmakers

[drenalinld]

I think most agree woods only sound better and better as they get older. I know old guitar sound cannot be matched and I have found box calls just seam to get better with time.. My brother has built a few guitars and communicates with a ton of very good luthiers. One trick used by some to try and duplicate that old sound is to cook the wood for a few hours at around 200 degrees F. A few even go above the boiling point for a short time. Their theory is, the aging process that gives a better sound is just the wood drying. Some feel this works quite well.

Has anyone ever attempted this or considered it for wood used in turkey calls?

[Shadetree Callers]

Ive made a few calls from maple Igot from b-ready , that was baked in an oven at around 400 degrees which carmelizes the starches in the wood. Even after the baking , there is moisture in the wood and I could watch the sap lead the bandsaw blade. I think that the natural aging process of wood in musical instruments or turkey calls , is brought about by the slow reduction in moisture over time. And both are normally stored in climate controlled environments where moisture levels are kept low such as in our houses. This allows for normal aging over a long period plus subtle changes in the wood at a molecular level that only come with time. The heat treated wood doesn't exhibit the same qualities as aged wood does. But it sure does make maple look sweet !

[Ghost Maker Calls]

I think there are a couple factors responsible for the tonal change in wood over time.  One is a sugar called hemicellulose.  Over time hemicellulose degrades within the cell wall of wood making the cell walls more flexible.  In turn the weight of the wood is reduced by a lot (have you ever picked up a piece of really old wood and it felt almost too light) so the weight to stiffness ratio is changed and the net effect of this is a piece of wood that is lighter so it doesn't absorb as much vibration and it is looser so it is able to transfer more vibration over the area of the call or instrument.  Hemicellulose can be broken down by heat treatments as well since it is a sugar.
Second, I think the physical act of playing an instrument or call flexes the wood fibers again opening them up and allowing the wood to be more tonal than just absorbing the vibration.
With that said, I have never heat treated my woods.  May have to give it a try though.

[BOB_HARWELL]

 I've heat treated some calls,,,,but,,,,,, the ashes never made a sound.

          Bob

[Porter]

I've heat treated some calls,,,,but,,,,,, the ashes never made a sound.

          Bob

Thanks Bob.. I just watered my laptop 

Did you try stabilizing the ashes