For example can a parrell humbucker be eq'd to sound like a single coil? Or even can it be eq'd to the other possible wiring's, series etc.

  • You may be able to imitate similar sounds/eq's however, by using your example, the dynamics and feel of play would be a big difference between a single coil and a parallel humbucker which will in turn effect the tone. – jazzboy Mar 26 '18 at 6:10

You can emulate various tonal characteristics, yes, but pickups have differences that aren't just tonal, so not able to be emulated with an EQ.

These include phase differences, sustain and decay, interference, the differences between parallel and serial wiring etc.

If you want to be able to emulate different guitars, so you don't need to carry many with you on tour, the closest seems to be the Line 6 Variax series, which some people love, and others hate. It provides emulation of entire guitar and amp setups, including pickups, necks, bodies etc.

  • Plus+++ for pointing out you can simulate all those effects you mention via a decent digital processor. – Carl Witthoft Mar 26 '18 at 11:21
  • Would I be wrong in saying that phase differences, parallel/serial etc., will make tonal differences, most of which could be emulated using eq? – Tim Mar 27 '18 at 10:12
  • Sadly, no. Phase interference is not emulatable with an EQ. There is time dependence – Doktor Mayhem Mar 27 '18 at 10:59
  • Actually, phase interference is emulatable with an EQ – but it has to affect each string independently. This is the main thing what e.g. the Roland VG- / GR-series do – of course requiring a hexaphonic PU that must itself be so close to the bridge that it doesn't have any phase cancellations in its own signal. Time dependence is included in the EQs impulse-response function. – leftaroundabout Apr 28 '18 at 17:05

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