Hello..I'm sorta new at this, but how can i tell a clarinet is plastic or wood?

Question

It a Selmer USA Signet 100..It was my cousin's and she used 10+years ago

Answer 1

The Selmer Signet 100 is an intermediate level clarinet, and they are wood.  They usually have a great tone, rich and thick, and the resonance is much deeper than a plastic (or resin, ABS) clarinet.

So if you're a beginner, congrats!  You have an awesome clarinet!  Even if you're an advanced player, it is a wonderful horn!  But remember... you have to oil it about once every six months to a year, depending on the climate you live in.

If you live in Georgia or Chicago, you only need to oil it once a year... somewhere dry like Colorado or Arizona requires a little more...

Buy a recorder swab (about $10)... it looks like an over-glorified pipe cleaner... and bore oil ($2).  Put a few drops on the swab and wipe it through the inside of the clarinet a couple times, then let it sit for 24 hours before you play it.  You can do the outside too, but remember- a little goes a LONG way... 1 or 2 drops should do it, and don't get the pads wet.  If you get some on the keys, just wipe off with a soft cloth.

As the other poster said, you can feel if it's wood by the grain.  HOWEVER... there are quite a few plastic models that have "natural wood grain" in the mold.  Also, newer wood clarinets may be as "smooth as glass" (mine is this way... it's an R-13).  The best way to tell is through the brand and model- but you can hear it in the tone too.  

Anyways, have fun playing! :)

Answer 2

The textures are vastly diffrent.  While both should be smooth the plastic will have an almost glass like feel and shine while the wood should have little wood rivets all around it so that if you drug your finger nail lightly across the surface it should catch in place and it will not have the same light reflecting shine as a plastic one.

It looks like most clarinets of the model you described are wood which is good because wood clarinets give off a better sound than plastic ones.