Here's my post-relentation opinion, which goes to the heart of a matter near and dear to me in the matter of the diagnosis, and management of G.A.S., a condition for which there is no cure, which both you and your loving spouse will have to learn to live with.
IMHO, guitars on the wall are 'used'. They are samplers and can be observed in a variety of conditions from pristine to putrid depending on the brand, model, and length of time they have been exposed to the vicious elements of the weekend headbangers' ball. The finish in the photo you submitted shows the kinds of swirls found in that of a played instrument, not an out of the case piece. Sooooo, though I understand your wife's original point of view clearly, and it is indeed well made, the fact of the matter is that you walked out of there with an 'as is' guitar with some consideration for that fact. I don't do that ever unless, as my distinguished colleagues have well alliterated before me, the juice is so worth the squeeze. There's a '93 Tele Plus out there, in a natural finish, with a cigarette burn on the back, which I paid $350 for off the wall used, in '95 there about. That burn was the only blemish on the guitar. Several years later, I swapped it out for a used '97 Blackie in pristine condition at another dealer, I got $350 for the guitar in the trade, but the the Tele went on the wall for $650, and didn't last the week. I've never seen it again. It was a helluva guitar, and I shuda kept it. For me, new is right out of the case, first opened by me. Keep that in mind in future considerations, Enjoy your Clapton. It's the best Stratocaster ever, and the Masterbuilts are even more so.

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"Another day in paradise!"

Do you know who you're talking to??? Of course they are. Why do you think she's constantly out there baking 'em......in a persistent state of bliss?

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"Another day in paradise!"

'Laugh it up, fur ball'.........Han Solo

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"Another day in paradise!"

good to see ya on doc.

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63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

Ditto...It's 1:21 am. Time to pack it in. The rest of the week will handle the responses.

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"Another day in paradise!"

If she wont shut her hole, the only option is to make your own ding and that will be the end of it.

I'm talking about the guitar, BTW.

guitars are meant to get scratched, banged up, and dinged. Even if you do exchange the guitar eventually the new one will get beat up too. If the guitar play fine keep it honestly i had to look at the photo really closely before i saw it.

You're position is well grounded AFTER the guitar has been purchased unblemished.

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"Another day in paradise!"