On some amps and P.A.'s, no preamp is needed. On others the sound is thin, harsh and nasty without one. My L.R. Baggs Para Acoustic D.I. travels with me to gigs. I recently ordered an ADI21 from Amazon and it's on it's way. After over a month of waiting on my Order from Guitar Center and multiple phone calls they cancelled my order. It's my first bad experience with a Guitar Center order. Shortly after the ADI21 arrives, I will write a review on how well it does in comparison to the Baggs:
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?72903-Seeking-recommendations-for-an-Amp
I always want to be the one in control of how I sound, so I pack my own gear, even when the venue claims to have their own house sound (We once gigged at an American Legion that claimed to have a house P.A.. They had a cheap Radio Shack P.A. with speakers in the roof and a speech microphone. Fortunately I had packed two Roland BA-330's in my car in preparation. The band that followed us asked if they could use my system.)
Here's what I usually keep in the trunk of my car:
I emptied out the trunk of my 2001 Ford Focus Sedan. Here’s the gear stacked in the front door hallway. 1 Carvin S400D Stagemate P.A. system, 1 Carvin 810 Extension Speaker, 3 Roland Cube Street’s, 2 Roland Microcube RX’s, 1 Roland Microcube Bass Rx, 1 Roland Microcube, 5 Camp Stools, 6 Adjustable Boom Microphone stands, 2 Speaker Stands and 6 large recyclable (grocery store bags) that are double bagged for strength:
I took out the contents of these bags to show what’s inside and to rewind the cables for better order. You can see the L.R. Baggs Para Acoustic D.I. in the top right of the photo:
Here’s the stands, AA batteries and camp stools:
Next I reloaded all that equipment into the trunk:
