Ribbon Mic repair Question

[Shawnobi]

Hi, first time poster.

So I picked up a couple of cheap T.bone RB500's from a friend in the knowledge that one was broken. I opened it up and found the chrome on the magnet was peeling and the ribbon was torn. So I cleaned up the magnet and, as I didn't have proper ribbon, I used some kitchen foil which seems to be around 18 Microns (ish). Anyhow it works & I did a bit of tuning and I've got it sounding fairly close to the other one. However it does have a bit more hiss.
I was wondering if anyone could explain why that might be? Different impedence or such?

Hopefully the pictures in the links work. I note the original foils aren't crimped on these so I didn't bother. Will do the job properly at some point... (This is my first attempt at fixing a ribbon mic).

Before:
https://preview.ibb.co/g4PTnq/45876477-10157028479053478-8721154613216018432-o.jpg

After:
https://preview.ibb.co/kHBf0A/45783520-10157028478998478-4695720502432366592-o.jpg

 

[cyrano]

I think you mean "corrugated"?

If they're not, it's surely a previous repair attempt. I've repaired an RB500 and the original  ribbon was corrugated.

AFAIK ribbons always need to be corrugated, to get a higher output. That might explain your hiss problem.

 

[Shawnobi]

Hi Cyrano,
I'm not sure if the early one's were TBH. I've found a pic of another with the same peeling problem someone had photographed and the ribbon was un-corrugated. It suggested these were early versions (2006 perhaps).

Here is that link: https://www.gearslutz.com/board/low-end-theory/376025-t-bone-rb500-quality-issues.html

A reply says it has "lost its corrogation" but I don't think that could be right.