I can back up what other people have said about the all-plastic Gemeinhardt 4P. I bought one less than a year ago, and it has served me well. I don't play in a marching band, but the concert band that I play in is rather brass-heavy and woodwind-lite---and the picc can hold its own! I don't know where you plan to use your piccolo eventually....but I have heard that silver is loudest/shrillest and therefore best suited for marching band piccs; wood is most temperamental and is the best material for orchestral piccs (NO outdoor performances!); and plastic is less prone to expansion than wood, less shrill than silver, and is a good picc for almost any setting.

No matter what kind you decide to get, keep your eyes peeled....you never know what kind of deal you might find! When I was looking for a piccolo, Gemeinhardt was having a massive sale on their piccolos; I saw at least one place online that was selling the plastic 4P for $399. I called my local music store, and they matched that price. It wound up being $420-something with sales tax, etc.

Thanks for the info! I plan to use the piccolo in marching band and symphonic band, but I'm not ready to play without a lip plate yet. I'm looking at a piccolo with a plastic body and two headjoints - one metal and the other plastic. I would like to take some time to adjust to playing without a lip plate for normal band and use the metal head for marching band, maybe...