This may sound crazy, but your guitar will sound different when hearing it from a listeners stand point. You are hearing it from pretty much the back but from out front it will sound different. Change those strings, get someone elso to have a wee go or record yourself. I bet you sound better than you think.
I also find that I sometimes get carried away and start bashing into it instead of being a bit more gentle, and that sound you are looking for gets lost a bit. Told you this would sound crazy. <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_confused.gif" border=0 alt="Confused">
Could even be down to how you are holding your pick.
Is anything really made up of zeros and ones??