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D'Addario · XL Nickel · 10-13-17-26-36-46-59

D'Addario EXL110-7 (10-13-17-26-36-46-59) in Drop A (7-string) on a 24.75" scale

10-59 Regular Light 7-String, XL Nickel Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 24.75" scale, tuned to Drop A (7-string) (E4 B3 G3 D3 A2 E2 A1), pulls 108.5 lb49.2 kg483 N in total and 15.5 lb7.03 kg69 N per string on average. That is a loose feel for an electric guitar. The set is moderately uneven (spread 11.8%). String 7 (A1) deviates most: −23% from the set average.

Total tension
108.5 lb49.2 kg483 N
Average per string
15.5 lb7.03 kg69 N
Feel
loose
medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string
Set your own preferred feel
Balance
moderately uneven
spread 11.8%

Tension per string

05101520lb02468kg020406080Nset averagemedium (10-46)1E4.01015.3 lb6.93 kg68 N2B3.01314.5 lb6.59 kg65 N3G3.01715.7 lb7.10 kg70 N4D3.02617.3 lb7.87 kg77 N5A2.03617.9 lb8.13 kg80 N6E2.04615.9 lb7.23 kg71 N7A1.05911.9 lb5.40 kg53 N
The bronze dashed line is the medium-feel target: the average per-string tension of a 10-46 set on a 25.5" scale in E standard (17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N). Loose and tight are measured against it.Line thickness follows the string gauge; textured lines are wound strings. Hover, tap or tab to a string for details.
#NoteHzGaugeItemType Tensionvs avg
1E4329.6 .010PL010plain 15.3 lb6.93 kg68 N−1%
2B3246.9 .013PL013plain 14.5 lb6.59 kg65 N−6%
3G3196.0 .017PL017plain 15.7 lb7.10 kg70 N+1%
4D3146.8 .026NW026wound 17.3 lb7.87 kg77 N+12%
5A2110.0 .036NW036wound 17.9 lb8.13 kg80 N+16%
6E282.4 .046NW046wound 15.9 lb7.23 kg71 N+3%
7A155.0 .059NW059wound 11.9 lb5.40 kg53 N−23%
Total108.5 lb49.2 kg483 N

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Similar sets in Drop A (7-string), 24.75"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
D'Addario NYXL1059 10-13-17-26-36-46-5915.5 lb7.02 kg69 N 108.3 lb49.1 kg482 Nloosemoderately uneven
EXL110-7 (this page) 10-13-17-26-36-46-5915.5 lb7.03 kg69 N 108.5 lb49.2 kg483 Nloosemoderately uneven
Elixir 12074 10-13-17-26-36-46-5915.6 lb7.10 kg70 N 109.5 lb49.7 kg487 Nmediumuneven
Elixir 19074 10-13-17-26-36-46-5915.6 lb7.10 kg70 N 109.5 lb49.7 kg487 Nmediumuneven
Elixir 12106 11-14-18-28-38-49-5917.7 lb8.04 kg79 N 124.0 lb56.3 kg552 Nmediumuneven
Elixir 19106 11-14-18-28-38-49-5917.7 lb8.04 kg79 N 124.0 lb56.3 kg552 Nmediumuneven

Best match for a medium feel in Drop A (7-string), 24.75"

Ranked by how close every string is to 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N (lower deviation is better).

  1. D'Addario NYXL1164 11-14-18-28-38-49-64 deviation 11.3%, average 17.7 lb8.05 kg79 N, moderately uneven
  2. D'Addario EXL110-7 10-13-17-26-36-46-59 deviation 14.2%, average 15.5 lb7.03 kg69 N, moderately uneven; same gauges: NYXL1059
  3. Elixir 12074 10-13-17-26-36-46-59 deviation 14.4%, average 15.6 lb7.10 kg70 N, uneven; same gauges: 19074

More for the EXL110-7

Other tunings on 24.75": B standard (7-string), A standard (7-string)

Drop A (7-string) on other scales: 25", 25.5", 26.5", 27", 28", 25.5"–27" multiscale

About these numbers

Tension is calculated, not measured: T = μ · (2 · L · f)², where μ is the string's mass per unit length (unit weight), L the vibrating length (scale) and f the pitch (A4 = 440 Hz, equal temperament). kg means kilogram-force: 1 kg ≈ 9.81 N ≈ 2.205 lb.

How a set feels also depends on the guitar's setup: action height, break angle over the nut and saddle, string length behind the nut and bridge, and your playing style. Plain strings feel stiffer than wound strings at the same tension. Use these figures to compare sets, not as an absolute measure of feel.

Sources