String Tension Lab Calculator

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

D'Addario EXL110 (10-13-17-26-36-46) in Open G on a 26.5" scale

10-46 Regular Light, XL Nickel Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 26.5" scale, tuned to Open G (D4 B3 G3 D3 G2 D2), pulls 99.2 lb45.0 kg441 N in total and 16.5 lb7.50 kg74 N per string on average. That is a medium feel for an electric guitar. The set is uneven (spread 12.2%). String 4 (D3) deviates most: +20% from the set average.

Total tension
99.2 lb45.0 kg441 N
Average per string
16.5 lb7.50 kg74 N
Feel
medium
medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string
Set your own preferred feel
Balance
uneven
spread 12.2%

Tension per string

05101520lb025810kg020406080Nset averagemedium (10-46)1D4.01013.9 lb6.30 kg62 N2B3.01316.6 lb7.55 kg74 N3G3.01717.9 lb8.14 kg80 N4D3.02619.9 lb9.02 kg88 N5G2.03616.3 lb7.39 kg73 N6D2.04614.5 lb6.58 kg64 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
1D4293.7 .010PL010plain 13.9 lb6.30 kg62 N−16%
2B3246.9 .013PL013plain 16.6 lb7.55 kg74 N+1%
3G3196.0 .017PL017plain 17.9 lb8.14 kg80 N+9%
4D3146.8 .026NW026wound 19.9 lb9.02 kg88 N+20%
5G298.0 .036NW036wound 16.3 lb7.39 kg73 N−1%
6D273.4 .046NW046wound 14.5 lb6.58 kg64 N−12%
Total99.2 lb45.0 kg441 N

Open in the calculator

Similar sets in Open G, 26.5"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
D'Addario EXL125 9-11-16-26-36-4615.0 lb6.78 kg67 N 89.7 lb40.7 kg399 Nlooseuneven
D'Addario EPS510 10-13-17-26-36-4615.9 lb7.23 kg71 N 95.7 lb43.4 kg426 Nmediummoderately uneven
D'Addario EXL110BT 10-13.5-17-25-34-4616.3 lb7.38 kg72 N 97.6 lb44.3 kg434 Nmediummoderately uneven
D'Addario NYXL1046 10-13-17-26-36-4616.5 lb7.48 kg73 N 99.0 lb44.9 kg440 Nmediumuneven
D'Addario XSE1046 10-13-17-26-36-4616.5 lb7.48 kg73 N 99.0 lb44.9 kg440 Nmediumuneven
EXL110 (this page) 10-13-17-26-36-4616.5 lb7.50 kg74 N 99.2 lb45.0 kg441 Nmediumuneven

Best match for a medium feel in Open G, 26.5"

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

  1. D'Addario EXL110BT 10-13.5-17-25-34-46 deviation 12.2%, average 16.3 lb7.38 kg72 N, moderately uneven
  2. D'Addario NYXL1046 10-13-17-26-36-46 deviation 12.2%, average 16.5 lb7.48 kg73 N, uneven; same gauges: XSE1046, EXL110, EPS510
  3. D'Addario NYXL1149 11-14-18-28-38-49 deviation 16.3%, average 18.8 lb8.54 kg84 N, moderately uneven; same gauges: EXL115

More for the EXL110

Other tunings on 26.5": E standard, Drop D, Eb standard, D standard, Drop C, Open D, DADGAD

Open G on other scales: 24.75", 25", 25.5", 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