L.R. Baggs Para DI Limited Gold Edition

L.R. Baggs celebrates the company’s 50th anniversary with a special edition of a famous preamp.

May 28, 2025

Acoustic instrument amplification technology changes at a rapid pace. Pickups, preamps, and amplification accessories evolve constantly, and players eagerly await the new developments introduced each year. As such, it’s remarkable that L.R. Baggs’s Para DI is still a leading preamp/DI since its debut more than 25 years ago. One of the first boxes to combine a preamp, DI-box, and powerful EQ in one package, the Para DI helped cement L.R. Baggs’s reputation for innovation. The winning combination of clean sound, powerful tone-shaping options, and ease-of-use made it an indispensable solution for many players, and other manufacturers soon introduced similar products. L.R. Baggs is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and the company is marking the occasion with a special-edition, gold-finished version of the Para DI, which inspired us to review this classic piece of gear in the Peghead Nation studio. In this video, I demo the Para DI Limited Gold Edition using a Lowden O10 guitar with an L.R. Baggs Anthem SL pickup system plugged into an AER Compact 60 amp.

Except for sporting a 50th anniversary logo and a gold finish instead of the familiar brown, the Limited Gold Edition is identical to the standard version, and it’s also priced at the same $229 list. Powered by either a nine-volt battery or phantom power (typically from a mixing board), the Para DI has a standard ¼-inch input and unbalanced ¼-inch, as well as balanced XLR output. Both can be used simultaneously, for example to send one signal to an on-stage amp and another to the PA. The only other jack is a ¼-inch TRS connection for an effects loop. Positioned between the three ¼-inch jacks at the front of the unit is a small push-button for phase reversal and an input gain control for matching the Para DI’s input gain with the output level of the pickup system. The gain control’s range is wide enough to match the Para DI to anything from low-output passive pickups to “hot” active systems. While the clean preamp is the Para DI’s essential feature, its powerful EQ makes it a flexible tool for fine-tuning your sound. You can modify your instrument’s straight signal, adjust for shortcomings in the amp or PA, or to deal with the sounds of a particular room. The unit’s 5-band EQ offers a set frequency range to cut or boost for Bass, Presence, and Treble, while the notch filter and Mid control work in tandem with a “tune” knob each, which enables you to sweep through and select precise frequencies to cut or boost. Finally, the Para DI has an output volume control that affects both the ¼-inch and XLR outputs. The entire package is housed in a sturdy metal box that is small enough to fit into the accessory compartment of most guitar cases.

I have used Para DI preamps for more than 20 years. My standard stage setup adds tuner and reverb pedals, but there have been plenty of times when I’ve used a Para DI on its own. There were no surprises when I plugged into the Limited Gold Edition. The Anthem SL in my Lowden sounds a bit darker than Anthems that I’ve heard in other guitars, so I often need to roll off a little bass, and I might add a bit of presence, depending on the system I’m playing through. In my own experience, the tunable Mid control is the Para DI’s secret weapon. I tend to start out my sound check by cranking the main Mid control, then sweeping through the frequencies until I find any problematic sounds. Once I cut that frequency, it’s almost guaranteed that my tone will be significantly improved. Then I use the Bass, Presence, and Treble controls to fine-tune the tone (as demonstrated in the video). While it’s difficult to demonstrate the notch filter in the controlled environment of a studio, I know from experience that the feature can be a gig-saver in venues with dodgy acoustics. The surgical nature of the Para DI’s notch filter makes it possible to remove unwanted frequencies with minimal impact on the overall sound.

More than 25 years after it was introduced, the Para DI continues to be a relevant and powerful tool that can solve many amplification problems at once. And its use isn’t limited to guitars: Virtually any acoustic instrument with a pickup is likely to benefit from being run through the box. Major congratulations to Lloyd Baggs and his team for creating a true classic, and here’s to the next 50 years!