I've tried both parallel in-phase (3.5 kohms) and series in-phase (14 kohms) and my HB-1s aren't humbucking... what's going on? Is this even possible? I'm boggled. They also sound quite thin when they are both on, which suggests maybe they aren't in phase with each other even though they're wired the same (right now, black=hot, red+white, green+shield=ground). But it could also be I'm just not used to how heavy the signals filter each other. And finally the volume knob sweep for both seems quite rapid. Not sure if that could be related.

Well first I guess I need to make sure I follow the diagram. Above, I referred to series linkage as 1, 2+3 link, 4. The schematic on the site says to do it 2, 1+3 link, 4. So I will have to try that.

Well here's the right way to do it. Thought I'd post in case anyone ever dredges this up with the search function.

Some brief background (that I forgot earlier): Humbuckers are wired out-of-phase for the same reason you flip one of the coils in RWRP mods. The magnetic polarity is set up so the signals will go back in phase when they are wired like this, but the hum will cancel due to the out-of-phase wiring and the hum existing irrespective of the magnetic pull that induces the string signal.

Now, for an HB-1 the 4-conductor wiring is the same as any other. The colors on mine are 1: black 2: red 3: white 4: green and a shield. There are two ways to make this work as a humbucker. Series, which is bigger and bassier sounding, is done by linking the green and red wires, the white wire and shield are ground and the black wire is hot. Parallel, which sounds a lot more like a single coil to my ears, is done by using the red and white wires as the hot lead and the black, green and shield as ground.

Hope this helps any other lost souls like myself 24 hours ago! Cheers!

So, where do the blue and clear wires belong?

I checked your diagram and it looks like my pickups have green instead of blue and white instead of clear; in other words the second coil got assigned different colors. I got them used but they look factory otherwise down to the Rickenbacker name on the bottom side of surround.

Now that I have them wired right they are killing it!

Yes, that's the problem. Availability of the multi-conductor wire has dictated the colors of the conductors. I guess my point is that the only stable reference is the numbered terminals on the PCB tab on the back of the pickup. From there it can be determined what colors go where and how things could/should be connected. Working only at the circuit end of the cable could have highly variable results.

Again for reference the factory HB wiring diagram.

I have an hb-1 wired to a toggle for single/parallel/series functions. It works nicely.

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I was considering that. Do you have a schematic?

I actually think several of those diagrams are wrong as they show the push-pulls toggling between in-phase configurations, which was my problem in the first place. It's counterintuitive if you don't think about what's happening in-depth, but out-of-phase wiring is what makes a humbucker work properly and sound good at the same time.