Scott Bean spends hours each day performing, practicing and teaching the trombone. But for years, Bean struggled with health problems that made it hard to play his instrument. "I coughed.

The sackbut first appeared in the 15th century, and was a prominent brass instrument during the Renaissance, baroque and early classical periods. But by the 18th century, it fell out of use.

But old brass instruments of comparable pedigrees don’t enjoy such hagiographies, outside a niche set of brass enthusiasts. Their repair needs can be esoteric, their intonation spotty ...