I have no problem with any kind of instrument ... I really like the spoons. I have a hard time with overkill, such as heavily distorted electric guitars accompanying angry, screaming Gen-Xers tonelessly belting out their messages of doom. (I have been told that it's an art form and therefore I should get off my snobbish high horse.) I barely refrained from chastising a friend of mine who amplified his dobro, lost his rhythm as the rum took control and led the rest of us into several train wrecks. (Unamplified and unlubricated, he's really pretty good.) The last one would be classically-trained violinists turning lively jigs and reels into stilted productions that lack the natural drive of a good fiddler. (I was disappointed when the local symphony orchestra, which I usually enjoy thoroughly, showcased a celtic program a few years ago.)

Bob