I am new to DB though I have been playing and performing for years. I have always played acoustic instruments and have never used amps. I (and whoever I am playing with) just use a decent pre-amp and plug directly into the PA. Is this the norm with DB as well?
I really like the tension. I think they are a really nice balance of playability and tone. I went from heaver steel strings to these, I gained in volume and a much more usable tone for the old timie stuff I play.