The following paragraph is taken from the Chris Kroff article linked by ST in this thread, I'm having feedback issues. I felt like the author was a bit condescending in this particular paragraph.
"It helps to try to get the mic as close to the instrument as possible without the risk of the performer hitting it with the guitar as he or she becomes more animated during the louder numbers. This is easier if your guitarist is sitting down for the show, obviously, but even then, many performers (singer-songwriter types, especially) have a habit of swinging their guitar back and forth, which means you may have to deal with some pretty wild variations in volume. Aside from exercising your fader finger, there's not much you can do about that, although more experienced performers may be quite accommodating if you simply ask them to keep their guitar fairly still as they're playing."
While reading the article above I was reminded of an outdoor festival I played many years ago. Although I wasn't using a mic on the guitar, the sound man took it upon himself to interfere with my performance. At the time I had about 20 years stage experience and had developed a style that was popular in the region, and that was the reason I was hired for the festival. At that time I was using a pickup and DI with tone and volume for convenience in outdoor performances. Before my set started I had asked the sound man to set all EQ controls flat allowing me to adjust my own eq, I would give him a strong signal to start then adjust my volume with my onstage DI. As the set progressed he kept making adjustments during the playing that kept me off balance to what I was doing. There was no consistency in EQ or volume from beginning of song to end. If I lightened up my playing intensity he would boost the volume, If I played harder he would cut it. After a couple of tunes I made some adjustment between songs and I politely asked him not to make anymore adjustments while I played. He continued to do so and after another couple of songs I made the most compelling demand I have ever made from the stage to not touch the controls any more. I remember to this day the feeling of having someone I didn't know, who didn't know me, place a nearly impossible condition on my performance. I consider myself a singing story teller. Telling a good story requires dynamics. A sound man cannot create dynamics for a performer. If he insists on riding the faders to raise the low volume or turn down the strong parts the artistry is stolen.
To those who might be in charge of sound, it is of vital importance to accommodate the natural tendencies of a performer whenever possible. It is not the sound-man's job to place restrictions on a performer. In a learning environment, teach performers how to utilize equipment, help them understand limitations and then work within those parameters while allowing them to be an artist.
Strange after all these years I still feel the need to vent.
O..