Buffing out fingernail scratches?

[82Daion]

I recently purchased a Fender Jazz Special that's in pretty good shape overall, but there's a large area on the front of the bass where the previous owner scratched up the finish with his fingernails.

Since the bass is black, this patch is quite visible when looking at the bass, and I'd like to get rid of it. What method should I use to go about doing this? I've looked into micro-grit sandpaper, but I don't know if that's the right option for this situation.

Thanks for your help and suggestions.

[meev992]

steel wool, then lacquer.

but uhm...in terms of quick fixes, whenever i have cigarette burns or scratches on my guitars or basses, i use gibson: luthier's choice, polish. It fills scratches in very nicely.