I have played on a plastic clarinet ever since sixth grade when I started. I played from sixth grade to eight grade on a plastic clarinet and ever since I started people have told me that I am a great player, but need a better tone quality. That is why I am going to buy a wooden clarinet for high school. Which kind is the best and not so expensive? Also, if I do marching band would it mess up my clarinet?

I never marched clarinet, but I know most of the clarinetists in my high school owned two clarinets, a wood and a plastic. The wood was strictly for indoors, and mostly concert band use. The plastic was for marching band. I`m not sure exactly what the effects are, but if you march wood I believe that it expands and contracts at different rates due to the humidity and temperature changes. Also, who knows when it`ll start to rain on the field. I believe plastic may project a little better, also, but I`m not certain. Like I said, I`m not a clarinet expert.

It depends on your local climate, e.g.,pine is good for the northwest, like Washington and Oregon, and Maple and Walnut are good on the East Coast. No matter the climate though, if you want to march in the band, I personality wouldn`t worry about it, because it won`t receive more stress( "it" meaning the clarinet ) than it would if you were in a concert hall or at home. I`d be worried about something fragile like a violin.

=/ NEVER play a wooden clarinet outside. it won`t explode or anything but you sure be more careful with it since it`s an expensive instrument. dropping it would be tragic. wooden clarinets are so high maintanance lol. always worrying about temperature and such. i`m not planning to buy a wood one for a long time. i just don`t see a need. and i`m so scared that if i buy a wooden bassoon i`ll break it and waste $3,000 or more =/ whereas wooden clarinets are only $500 or more depending on the brand (usually around $2,000)

"It depends on your local climate, e.g.,pine is good for the northwest, like Washington and Oregon, and Maple and Walnut are good on the East Coast."
really? only wood that a clarinet should be made of is grenadilla IMO b/c it`s dense. same with oboes. but bassoons on the other hand are made of maple. (candian or yugoslavian maple i think)

btw i play both clarinet and bassoon and i know a lot about them but keep in mind that i`ve never bought a wood one before. i`ve heard a lot of people say not to march with them though.

Well, you wouldn`t wanna march with a bassoon right!? lol

Wouldn`t wood instruments split or crack when it`s too humid? When it`s scorching weather... perhaps a different tone, out of tune... or something along the line, but if you can afford it, get two clarinets like the person ^ up there said, and try to get the same brand of clarinet because there will probably be a better match, thus not making much of an embouchure difference or some difference (e.g. Yamaha plastic clarinet, Yamaha wood clarinet.) Just a simple thought though.