If there is any laquer on the brass this will have to be removed before you can polish the metal, use a paint stripper solution(obviously remove the hardware from the guitar or the consequences would be disasterous) the solution doesn't have be on long, use an old toothbrush to remove the residue - wear rubber/vinyl gloves to avoid contact dermatitis. Rinse in warm soapy water and dry with a soft towel and final dry in a warm oven or drying room(airing cupboard as we call them in the UK)
Once dry use a good quality metal polish wadding, I personally think the wadding is best as it can be molded to get into the small areas but any high quality polish with a soft cloth will do. Brasso/Duraglit in the UK..Flitz in the US of A.
Buff to high lustre with a clean cloth, you could re laquer after this with spray can products but I didn't bother.
I would oil the fretboard if you have it all stripped off too, if it hasn't been done for a while then apply loads and let it soak in, be careful, lemon oil can cause irritation to the skin if you are sensitive to plant oils(as before use gloves) To get rid of the string 'tide marks' on the board you will have to massage the oil into the board.
When you have done all this please post a pic on the forum to show off your hard work
