Live sound is an ongoing problem for most acoustic performers.
I've always enjoyed the live sound of the David Grisman Quintet, which has always played without pickups. They have their own mics, sound person, and controlled environments. The dilemma lies between wanting to deliver a great tone from a great instrument, in my case a J.R Zeidler dreadnought, and the inability to do so because of ambient noise and sound techs inexperienced in dealing with acoustic instruments. I decided I'd rather be heard with a slighty compromised tone than to be inaudible and struggle fruitlessly to be heard by overplaying and tensing up. I've found that using a pickup in these situations allows me to relax and play better.