Name your guitar after your wife and tell her you are playing it to warm up your hands and fingers "for later."

I was like that until I played the maple.

Thanks to all of you for your advice, I wound up taking her out to her favorite "fun restaurant" the Melting Pot. About half way through the meal she looks at me with a big smile and said "I know you'd rather take me to a nicer restaurant but this is my special fun place, so thanks for bringing me here".

Now she has just left to go shopping with her gal pals and said she will be home between 7 and 8 this evening.

Time to have a drink and warm those tubes up!

Beautiful guitar, congrats.............enjoy her (your wife and the guitar)

Good move Bowdiddly, it could have been downright dangerous for you and your new Strat if you didn't take her out.

take the guitar with you

I like a story that ends well...

I'm gonna get me a bulldog, watch my
Guitar while I sleep,
Better stick it in the case, hide it in a safe
place. Lol

_________________
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

oogway, kungfu panda 2008

...Cause women these days, they're so doggone crooked
That they might make off fore day creep...