Need some suggestions/help w/ my SM58

I'm pretty well versed when it comes to guitar equipment but now I need hlp with microphones. We recently got an SM58 mic and since we have no PA system we'll be running it through a guitar amp (it's all we have). The issue is that we get hardly any volume out of the 65 Watt amp we're running it through (even cranked up to 10). I've been reading about phantom power and what i read says the SM58 doesn't need it so here's my question...

Would running the mic through a preamp allow for more volume?
Also, should it be a preamp with phantom power?

This is the question to which I could not find an answer so any help from the forum would be awesome. Oh, and any suggestion to inexpensive preamps and where to get them is always welcome!

Thanks again

Hello Goldfire, welcome to the forum - I'm happy you joined
I -unfortuntely- have no experience with the subject you describe, however I heard that in the UK Pro-Ject seems to sell pretty inexpensive preamps.

Do not run a powered signal into your amp like that. You run the risk of damaging the channel. A Shure 58 does not need phantom power and ignores it if provided. The 58 has a tight pattern, it is designed so that it ignores a lot of sound, you'll need to be right up on it. That's why I always recomend that singers own their own mic, that way's it's their baloney breath they smell on the microphone, not someone elses.

What you need is a cheap P.A. setup. Fender Passport is ok and pretty portable. The controls are a little odd but after a few practice sessions, you'll figure them out. Peavy makes one as well but the one that I've used felt cheap.

The problem is that you are trying to use a balanced mic with an unbalanced input.

You need a matching transformer between the XLR balanced signal and the unbalanced 1/4" connections on the amp.

A matching transformer is the solution here, MidiMagic?