Trivia
In vogue in the 1900s-the metal clarinet

This metal clarinet was manufactured with exactly the same internal diameter as the normal wooden clarinet. Despite this, the metal clarinet's thinner tube created an overall impression of slenderness. With its flamboyant high notes and sonorous low notes, the metal clarinet enjoyed a brief period of popularity in the 1900s.
Even today, the contrabass clarinet is made out of metal. This is a large instrument and grenadilla trees are not tall enough to supply wood of sufficient length. In addition, on the bass clarinet and the alto clarinet the bell is made out of metal, as it would be difficult to work wood into the correct shape.