I finally pulled the headstock apart and clear coated it in a shiny clear automotive lacquer. I like the Dupli-color stuff, as I've never had any problems with it doing anything funny. It dries fast, sands well, buffs up super shiny, and seems durable. I am NOT affiliated with them in any way. It's just what's available to me locally and what has worked well for my DIY stuff. You'll need to run your own experiments before messing up your own guitar or be willing to have to work out how to fix mistakes along the way:-)