Seriously, in my experience there is no better way to amplify an acoustic instrument than through a good microphone. The exception I guess would be if you wanted to easily add effects to the signal, but if you just want to amplify the natural sound of your instrument, spend some extra money on the right microphone for it (go to a place where you can try them out) and put away those pickups (except for my 85 GMC).

Chet