So, 8s were just a tad too far for me. I tried switching to a .46mm pick, which I actually like and might just keep using. I moved back up to a set of "balanced" 9s, which have slightly thicker G and B strings found with a normal set of 9s. So far, they feel really nice, just at the threshold for playing a little harder than normal without thwacking the strings weirdly.

This thread made me curious about throwing some 8s on my La Cabronita: go full Gibbons. Probably not great for complex chords, but I bet it's fun for riffs.