I'll be interested to see what others think about this topic, but my opinion is that nothing sounds as good as a mic in front of the guitar. Problem is, it's more of a hassle. I started with a Big Tone, moved to a Schertler DYN-G, then a K&K archtop pickup, and finally an Audio Technica Pro-70. I'm back to the Big Tone using the small preamp I got with the K&K. I think all of the above sounded fine -- I'm back to the Big Tone because it's the least hassle. With everything you have to mess with to prep for a gig, anything you can simplify is a blessing.
AE