Instrument Overkill

What instrument, in your opinion, is overdone-to-death in modern music?
 -----
 
 My vote: The cymbals.  Cymbals are a cheap way to fill extra time.  They are sometimes used as a substitute for good musicianship.
 
 There's just too much use of cymbals in popular music.  How many cymbals does the average drumkit have?  Too many.  How often does the average drummer strike them?  Too often.

[Herr Professor Doktor Doom]

heh... in the last band I was in, we practiced in an extremely small basement where I used to be positioned right next to the drummer, and one of his cymbals was right next to my ear.  So, I concur.

[thirsty moore]

Roto-toms.

[Sir HC]

COWBELL!
 
 Actually in the 70s it was the hi-hat on many songs.  It would be like a hi-hat with some backing band.
 
 If you concider the Anteres auto-tune an instrument, then that is the most overused.  You can hear it on so many singers.

<img src="http://www.users.qwest.net/~smarlowe/images/monopoly-walken-cowbell.png" alt=" - " />

[Chip Chanko]

I agree with cymbals. Less cymbals, more toms I say. I was in a band where the drummer played the quads in marching band...so luckily he tended to not rely on cymbals.
 
 It can also be how the cymbals are recorded on an album. I hate it when they're up front and too hissy (pssss instead of pish). It makes an album hard to get through for me.
 
 The melodica is also overused.

Originally posted by Chip Chanko:
 
 
 The melodica is also overused.

<img src="http://www.ukproject-shop.com/ukproject/htdocs/data/cd/00000/0600/621/images/photo_s_621.gif" alt=" - " />
 But the keytar is way-underused, IMHO.

[ttuamy]

yep, i'd also agree with cymbals.  i think the most under used instrument is the xylophone.

[edbert]

soul music was killed by the DX7 synthesizer sound and the slap bass

[TheWaz]

Cymbals, yep.  Way overused, i notice this at live shows alot.  
 
 Most uderused... I was gonna say jaw harp, but i jsut heard it on the dandy warhols album.  I play mandolin, and that instrument is underused in everything but bluegrass.  Thats why my plan is to introduce it to rock, like Jethro Tull and the flute.

[Venerable Bede]

Originally posted by TheWaz:
  I play mandolin, and that instrument is underused in everything but bluegrass.  Thats why my plan is to introduce it to rock

perhaps you are unfamiliar with this little ditty
   <img src="http://i20.ebayimg.com/02/i/02/f3/71/03_1.JPG" alt=" - " />

[Sir HC]

Originally posted by TheWaz:
  Cymbals, yep.  Way overused, i notice this at live shows alot.  
 
 Most uderused... I was gonna say jaw harp, but i jsut heard it on the dandy warhols album.  I play mandolin, and that instrument is underused in everything but bluegrass.  Thats why my plan is to introduce it to rock, like Jethro Tull and the flute.

Don't forget Mercury Rev for the flute.  On their first several albums they had a lot of flute.

[Bombay Chutney]

The Vibraslap
 
   <img src="http://www.zzounds.com/media/feed/large/LBL208.jpg" alt=" - " />

[brennser]

definitely the theremin
 
   <img src="http://oddmusic.com/gallery/theremin.jpg" alt=" - " />

[Justin Tonation]

The human voice.