I agree, that amber shellac is incredible!
I finally re-wrapped by bars. I found some cork tape that I like quite a bit so far. I also put my new saddle on and ended up raising my seatpost a little more than it was. Like I was saying earlier in the thread, I was unhappy with the cloth because it was uncomfortable, not because of pain. I think this will be the winning setup (for now!).

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions, it's much appreciated!