1557—Nuremberg, Germany

The second-oldest extant trombone is made by Jörg Neuschel (Carse, Musical 252). Because the instrument traditionally labeled the oldest (see 1551, above) is a composite instrument, many scholars consider this 1557 instrument the oldest. Describing this 1557 instrument, Philip Bate says, “The instrument is, in fact, in all major respects a trombone as used today, the only differences being in the loose stays… and in the less marked ‘flare’ of the bell” (Bate 134). The museum holding the instrument also notes that the wall thickness is also greater in the older instrument than in modern instruments. The holder is Sammlung alter Musikinstrumente, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna (Herbert, Trombone 311).