WRT the neck, I'll try a sand followed by another coat to see how that goes. If that fails, I'll go back up through the grits to craft the finish it until it feels right.
I'll add a couple more coats to the headstock face, sand it back flat, then go up through the grits and polish.
"It's your bass!" That's a good reminder. Sometimes, I get caught up in trying to do it right (or at least, not irreparably wrong) rather than treating this as a creative endeavor.
Thanks again for your advice, Simon. You're a legend.