Its kind of difficult in open mic forums to have good sound just micing a guitar, and if the open mic involves more than one musician at a time on stage the plugging up ii better and simpler....what I find discouraging tho in the "hoots" and open mics is usually the musicians are so hungry to perform they are doing it for free, the bar is selling its "product" and the host of the open mic is usually getting paid..to me there's a time I guess for open mics in one's growth and socializing thing, but it is like karaoke, it undermines the performer making a living performing....free music so why pay<