Pretty big break thrus with this piece. After 20 years, I heard a really good tip on youtube about polishing your finger nails when playing classical guitar. The tip is, you have to polish them until they feel like the rim of a glass cup because even the smallest rough surface will interfere with creating a clean release from the string. I tried it and holy hell does it make a difference. I've always filed my nails on my right hand but sanded them this much before - I always assumed it was the better priced instruments that created the tone that the professionals make. I quickly switched back to light tension strings to give my Left hand a break and I think I've unlocked a major piece of the puzzle. I don't want to get my hopes up too soon, but this discovery I believe is significant.
Recorded using the front camera on my smart phone - the quality is much worse but now I know what it looks like.
I used my Rode M2 mic which eliminated a lot of the external noise of cars driving down the rainy road outside.