To hell with the funny looks--bring the electric. It's an instrument, not a machine gun--there's nothing "threatening" about it. Piano accordions? now they're threatening... But seriously, Jerimiah Mcgraw is, as usual, right on the money about bass issues. Once the session players realize that you can keep the volume in check and you know what you're doing (this is the most important part), there should be no problems. If there are, they are likely coming from small-minded individuals who think that jamming is somehow on par with curing cancer.

Acoustics do get drowned out sorely in sessions, which is why most have onboard piezo pickups. I've played just about every model and like the Guilds the best, but the music really is better when I bring my electric. The funny-lookers soon realize this, too, when they suddenly discover the foundation of bottom end on the same tunes they've been playing for weeks, months, years, decades. Break new ground, bring the electric, and if you can play the tunes, the electricity will be long forgotten by the end of the second jig.

I'm sure that there will be objections to this point of view, but as I said above, this is music, not life-or-death.