A friend of mine uses a Lowden to accompany Irish jigs, reels etc in a session. He plays finger style (and incedentally he is one of the best accompaniests of that sort of music that I have ever met) and I know he uses metal finger picks but I don't know what strings he uses or anything else.

He has no problem making himself heard playing along with pipes, banjos, melodeons... I should see him over the weekend so I'll ask him how he set his up for you.

Jon