25th Anniv KV paint and broken hs

[AIC70]

I just bought one of the silver 25th Anniversary King V/Double Rhoads and it had a previous neck repair at the nut it looks like (they also did a shitty job packing it and the headstock snapped right through the G tuner during shipping - GC bastards!). Decent original repair but the Tim Wilson/Mike Shannon sigs aren't there anymore - or maybe they are and are covered up? Is there a good way to uncover the most recent paint layer to find out? I assume it's the same polyurethane clear and base (or is that not what Jackson used in 2005?) that Jackson initially used as the paint hasn't lifted. I have a heat gun but am afraid that it will lift both original layer with the sigs along with the repair layer. Should I just sand away? Ultimately I think I will end up sending it to Lee at GMW to have the hs refined, but I'd like to try and save the signatures. Advice is much appreciated!

[phragle]

IF and its a big if, the original sigs were buried under clear and it was a quick cheap and dirty repaint with little to no prep, I would think your best bet is a good block and say 1000 grit and wetsand carefully taking your time, but its not gauranteed