today my friend said "hey can i borrow your clarinet for a second" so i said no but he replies i'll use my own reed and mouth peice still i said no he complained then finaly gave up should i have let him use it?

depends what he wanted it for. although unless he's really really clumsy or something, or obviously contagiously ill, i don't see any particular problem with it.

i have usually avoided lending my clari out - dont evenlet others hold it, because then im not in control of it and dont want it to get damaged - i made exceptions for close friends and clarinettists though - the ones i trusted -

i dont think what you did was wrong - sounds completely reasonable to mme actually...

Friends don't let friends borrow their clarinets,if they want to remain friends
unless its a cheap doesn't matter if it gets dropped or damaged clarinet/instrument

<Added>

Thats why I got one of those cheap plastic chinese clarinets(fluro pink)
so no one else touches my good clarinets.

Have taken it to band practice(with decent clarinet hidden in my backpack)
get some really weird looks and comments :-)

Does anyone know if vitos have the serial number on just the upper joint
or on both upper and lower ?

i'm still curious what your friend wanted it for.

i suppose in your situation, probably you made a good choice. in a sixth grade band, (i checked your info page ) i'd keep my instrument to myself, too.

in my band, theres enough respect for the instruments (your own and everyone elses) that theres much less concern about trying something on someone elses, or having someone hold it for a minute. we kind of consider it safer to leave it with the person next to you than to take it with you when you run to the water fountain or to get something from a case. although, that may also have something to do with instrument size too, come to think of it.