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 D on a 28" scale

10-46 Regular Light, XL Nickel Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 28" scale, tuned to Open D (D4 A3 F#3 D3 A2 D2), pulls 109.4 lb49.6 kg487 N in total and 18.2 lb8.27 kg81 N per string on average. That is a medium feel for an electric guitar. The set is uneven (spread 17.6%). String 5 (A2) deviates most: +26% from the set average.

Total tension
109.4 lb49.6 kg487 N
Average per string
18.2 lb8.27 kg81 N
Feel
medium
medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string
Set your own preferred feel
Balance
uneven
spread 17.6%

Tension per string

01020lb025810kg0255075100Nmedium (10-46)set average1D4.01015.5 lb7.04 kg69 N2A3.01314.7 lb6.69 kg66 N3F#3.01717.8 lb8.09 kg79 N4D3.02622.2 lb10.07 kg99 N5A2.03622.9 lb10.40 kg102 N6D2.04616.2 lb7.34 kg72 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 15.5 lb7.04 kg69 N−15%
2A3220.0 .013PL013plain 14.7 lb6.69 kg66 N−19%
3F#3185.0 .017PL017plain 17.8 lb8.09 kg79 N−2%
4D3146.8 .026NW026wound 22.2 lb10.07 kg99 N+22%
5A2110.0 .036NW036wound 22.9 lb10.40 kg102 N+26%
6D273.4 .046NW046wound 16.2 lb7.34 kg72 N−11%
Total109.4 lb49.6 kg487 N

Open in the calculator

Similar sets in Open D, 28"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
D'Addario EPS510 10-13-17-26-36-4617.5 lb7.96 kg78 N 105.2 lb47.7 kg468 Nmediumuneven
D'Addario EXL110BT 10-13.5-17-25-34-4617.8 lb8.09 kg79 N 107.0 lb48.5 kg476 Nmediumuneven
D'Addario NYXL1046 10-13-17-26-36-4618.2 lb8.26 kg81 N 109.2 lb49.5 kg486 Nmediumuneven
D'Addario XSE1046 10-13-17-26-36-4618.2 lb8.26 kg81 N 109.2 lb49.5 kg486 Nmediumuneven
EXL110 (this page) 10-13-17-26-36-4618.2 lb8.27 kg81 N 109.4 lb49.6 kg487 Nmediumuneven
D'Addario NYXL1149 11-14-18-28-38-4920.7 lb9.41 kg92 N 124.5 lb56.5 kg554 Ntightuneven

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

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 13.5%, average 17.8 lb8.09 kg79 N, uneven
  2. D'Addario EPS510 10-13-17-26-36-46 deviation 15.7%, average 17.5 lb7.96 kg78 N, uneven; same gauges: NYXL1046, XSE1046, EXL110
  3. D'Addario EXL120BT 9-12-15-22-30-40 deviation 20.4%, average 14.1 lb6.38 kg63 N, uneven

More for the EXL110

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

Open 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