AHH HA! So, there is merit to the thought process that heat treating is just an accelerated aging... Argument over for me! Yes, aged is better than fresh, and heat treat artifically ages wood 
It certainly would be beneficial if we could learn how to treat staves to make better performing bows, but discoveries that apply to improved sound resonance in unstrained spruce might not transfer very directly to highly stressed hardwoods. and if we develop better methods to accelerate aging that improve initial performance, could we also be accelerating some of the detrimental aging affects also?
Would anyone care to comment on the longevity of the gains that come from toasting bellies or any preference for bending wood green prior to drying naturally vs. heat bending after drying?
