Preferred method/product for buffing out pick scratches in finish

[BK Bass]

I recently picked up a well-played bass that has the usual play wear but also some really aggressive pick scratches that look kind of unnatural. I can live with the chips and dings, but these pick scratches are just kind of gross. If every blemish has a story, the one for these seems to be that somebody's ten-year-old got a hold of this bass and did their best rock star impression while using a quarter for a pick.

What is the best way to try to buff these out, or at least dull them somewhat? They aren't very deep at all, but they are visible enough to be irritating to me. Hoping it's as simple as a buffing wheel or high grit sandpaper.

Open to ideas. Thanks!

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Photos mandatory if you want meaningful advice. If the scratches go right through the clearcoat, no amount of buffing will remove them without cutting into the colorcoat. If the scratches are light enough, you might get away with some wet sanding, compound, and swirl remover. With some photos, one of the resident finish gurus can advise. The consensus opinion seems be to do the least aggressive thing first and work your way up. There are a couple different scratch remover kits online, but it just seems like stuff you can get for less elsewhere, so you are paying for the convenience and the instructions.
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[TheAnalogKid]

Certain automotive products that remove paint scratches might work, like Meguiar's "Scratch-X". There is a kit with the compound, buffing pad that fits on a drill, and a polishing cloth. I figure the poly on a bass/guitar is similar to that of automotive clearcoat. Years ago, I used Scratch-X on an acoustic guitar, just by hand - it did a good job with the light blems and made the deeper scratches less obvious.

Edit: cannot recommend for Nitro finishes...

 

[Gilmourisgod]

The big (maybe only) advantage of nitro is that subsequent overcoats "melt" into the coat below without witness lines, so sometimes the best solution to is to lightly sand the surface clearcoat and overspray a new coat of clear nitro. This "hot" solvent aspect also makes them highly toxic, so if you go this route, get a decent organic vapor respirator, not just a dust mask. This stuff can kill you, and its highly flammable. It also takes weeks to cure properly, which is why its relegated to Road Worn and Relic'd finishes, at which it excels since it basically self destructs in contact with alcohol, sweat, and pretty much anything else. Check out this company Reranch, they sell traditional nitro in spray cans, and have a lot of good tutorials and a users forum. Since its dedicated to nitro finish, you might get some good advice, again by POSTING PHOTOS.
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[BK Bass]

Photos mandatory if you want meaningful advice.

Of course. Here's a photo of what I'm dealing with.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

That looks like clearcoat scratches, maybe try a scratch kit first, if that doesn’t work, get more aggressive.

 

[BK Bass]

That looks like clearcoat scratches, maybe try a scratch kit first, if that doesn’t work, get more aggressive.

Thank you. Yea, they aren't particularly deep so I am hoping a home remedy is sufficient.