Can anyone provide any guidance on sanding down the heavy clearcoat of an American Standard to get rid of surface scratches? I'm wondering if it will destroy the finish?

Depends on how deep the scratches are. If you can feel them or if you run a fingernail across a scratch and it hangs up in it than it is probably too deep to fix without refinishing.

Hi Mark, welcome to the Forum.

YZFJOE is exactly right in saying it depends how deep the scratches are.

If just surface scuff marks then you can buy a cream polish from any auto parts supplier for buffing little stone dents and such out of car finishes. This will work fine on your guitar body, whichever type of finish you have.

Automotive swirl remover will help too if your surface is just dulled a touch.

Cheers - C

Thanks guys, the scratches aren't very deep so I'll try the buffing polish.

Excellent. Go to an auto parts shop and describe what your scratches are like. They'll direct you to the correct product - all a question of degree of cut. Won't be very expensive.

Don't worry if they are unsure whether it will work on a guitar finish: it will.

Cheers - C