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

D'Addario EXL110 (10-13-17-26-36-46) in Drop D on a 28" scale

10-46 Regular Light, XL Nickel Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 28" scale, tuned to Drop D (E4 B3 G3 D3 A2 D2), pulls 119.5 lb54.2 kg531 N in total and 19.9 lb9.03 kg89 N per string on average. That is a tight feel for an electric guitar. The set is moderately uneven (spread 11.3%). String 6 (D2) deviates most: −19% from the set average.

Total tension: 119.5 lb54.2 kg531 N
Average per string: 19.9 lb9.03 kg89 N
Feel: tight; medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string; Set your own preferred feel
Balance: moderately uneven; spread 11.3%

Tension per string

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.

#	Note	Hz	Gauge	Item	Type	Tension	vs avg
1	E4	329.6	.010	PL010	plain	19.5 lb8.87 kg87 N	−2%
2	B3	246.9	.013	PL013	plain	18.6 lb8.43 kg83 N	−7%
3	G3	196.0	.017	PL017	plain	20.0 lb9.09 kg89 N	+1%
4	D3	146.8	.026	NW026	wound	22.2 lb10.07 kg99 N	+11%
5	A2	110.0	.036	NW036	wound	22.9 lb10.40 kg102 N	+15%
6	D2	73.4	.046	NW046	wound	16.2 lb7.34 kg72 N	−19%
Total						119.5 lb54.2 kg531 N

Open in the calculator

Similar sets in Drop D, 28"

Set	Gauges	Avg per string	Total	Feel	Balance
D'Addario EXL125	9-11-16-26-36-46	18.0 lb8.17 kg80 N	108.1 lb49.0 kg481 N	medium	uneven
D'Addario EPS510	10-13-17-26-36-46	19.2 lb8.72 kg85 N	115.3 lb52.3 kg513 N	tight	moderately uneven
D'Addario EXL110BT	10-13.5-17-25-34-46	19.6 lb8.87 kg87 N	117.3 lb53.2 kg522 N	tight	moderately uneven
D'Addario NYXL1046	10-13-17-26-36-46	19.9 lb9.02 kg88 N	119.3 lb54.1 kg530 N	tight	moderately uneven
D'Addario XSE1046	10-13-17-26-36-46	19.9 lb9.02 kg88 N	119.3 lb54.1 kg530 N	tight	moderately uneven
EXL110 (this page)	10-13-17-26-36-46	19.9 lb9.03 kg89 N	119.5 lb54.2 kg531 N	tight	moderately uneven

Best match for a medium feel in Drop D, 28"

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

D'Addario EXL120BT 9-12-15-22-30-40 deviation 12.3%, average 15.4 lb7.00 kg69 N, moderately uneven
D'Addario EXL120 9-11-16-24-32-42 deviation 13.9%, average 16.4 lb7.42 kg73 N, uneven; same gauges: NYXL0942
D'Addario EXL110BT 10-13.5-17-25-34-46 deviation 17.0%, average 19.6 lb8.87 kg87 N, moderately uneven

More for the EXL110

Other tunings on 28": E standard, Eb standard, D standard, Drop C, C standard, Open G, Open D, DADGAD

Drop D on other scales: 24.75", 25", 25.5", 26.5", 27", 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

D'Addario product page, tension chart for EXL110 (2026-10-31): unit weights derived from the published tensions, cross-checked across sets.