Laquer repair

[steve in tampa]

Is there much that can be done to repair a laquer finish?

1. My wife took her Gibson guitar out to the woods with us yesterday, and had a bug bug her, so she broke out an Off towlette thing, and got it all over her guitar. It clouded the finish. I am assuming it is a solvent based product. Can the shine be restored?

2. I have some pitting in an instrument (looks like pick marks). Can this be filled in to them. How about shallow scratches. Can they be polished out?

I ask before I dive in with any cleaning products.

[sunburst]

A lacquer finish can be re-buffed.
There has to be enough film thickness that it doesn't buff through, but that is likely not much of a concern if it is a lacquered Gibson. There's usually plenty of thickness.
That will repair the clouding, and shallow scratches.
Deeper scratches or pick marks probably can't be buffed out. Deeper damage is too much work to repair to be worth doing, in most cases.

[steve in tampa]

Thanks!

Is this something I might try at home with a high quality polish like Virtuoso, or is it best left to a professional?

[sunburst]

Some experience is helpful. It might be best left to a professional, but if you take it slow, use NO SILICONE, and be sure to do no damage, you night be able to buff it out by hand, and if not you can still take it to a pro if you're not satisfied.
(I'm not familiar with Virtuoso. I would probably use micro-mesh, followed by McGuires #7.)

[Jim Hilburn]

I had a friend bring me his 60's Gibson bass with the same problem. I was able to clear it up using McGuiar's swirl remover, which is a very fine abrasive polish.