String Tension Lab Calculator

D'Addario · XL Nickel Balanced Tension · 10-13.5-17-25-34-46

D'Addario EXL110BT (10-13.5-17-25-34-46) in Eb standard on a 27" scale

10-46 Regular Light Balanced Tension, XL Nickel Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 27" scale, tuned to Eb standard (Eb4 Bb3 Gb3 Db3 Ab2 Eb2), pulls 100.7 lb45.7 kg448 N in total and 16.8 lb7.61 kg75 N per string on average. That is a medium feel for an electric guitar. The set is very even (spread 2.1%). String 1 (Eb4) deviates most: −3% from the set average.

Total tension
100.7 lb45.7 kg448 N
Average per string
16.8 lb7.61 kg75 N
Feel
medium
medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string
Set your own preferred feel
Balance
very even
spread 2.1%

Tension per string

051015lb02468kg020406080Nset averagemedium (10-46)1Eb4.01016.2 lb7.35 kg72 N2Bb3.013516.6 lb7.53 kg74 N3Gb3.01716.6 lb7.53 kg74 N4Db3.02517.2 lb7.80 kg76 N5Ab2.03417.2 lb7.80 kg76 N6Eb2.04616.9 lb7.66 kg75 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
1Eb4311.1 .010PL010plain 16.2 lb7.35 kg72 N−3%
2Bb3233.1 .0135PL0135plain 16.6 lb7.53 kg74 N−1%
3Gb3185.0 .017PL017plain 16.6 lb7.53 kg74 N−1%
4Db3138.6 .025NW025wound 17.2 lb7.80 kg76 N+2%
5Ab2103.8 .034NW034wound 17.2 lb7.80 kg76 N+2%
6Eb277.8 .046NW046wound 16.9 lb7.66 kg75 N+1%
Total100.7 lb45.7 kg448 N

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Similar sets in Eb standard, 27"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
D'Addario EPS510 10-13-17-26-36-4616.5 lb7.47 kg73 N 98.8 lb44.8 kg439 Nmediumeven
EXL110BT (this page) 10-13.5-17-25-34-4616.8 lb7.61 kg75 N 100.7 lb45.7 kg448 Nmediumvery even
D'Addario NYXL1046 10-13-17-26-36-4617.0 lb7.73 kg76 N 102.3 lb46.4 kg455 Nmediummoderately uneven
D'Addario XSE1046 10-13-17-26-36-4617.0 lb7.73 kg76 N 102.3 lb46.4 kg455 Nmediummoderately uneven
D'Addario EXL110 10-13-17-26-36-4617.1 lb7.75 kg76 N 102.5 lb46.5 kg456 Nmediummoderately uneven
D'Addario NYXL1149 11-14-18-28-38-4919.5 lb8.83 kg87 N 116.8 lb53.0 kg519 Ntighteven

Best match for a medium feel in Eb standard, 27"

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 2.8%, average 16.8 lb7.61 kg75 N, very even
  2. D'Addario EPS510 10-13-17-26-36-46 deviation 5.9%, average 16.5 lb7.47 kg73 N, even; same gauges: NYXL1046, XSE1046, EXL110
  3. D'Addario NYXL1149 11-14-18-28-38-49 deviation 15.4%, average 19.5 lb8.83 kg87 N, even; same gauges: EXL115

More for the EXL110BT

Other tunings on 27": E standard, Drop D, D standard, Drop C, C standard, Open G, Open D, DADGAD

Eb standard on other scales: 24.75", 25", 25.5", 26.5", 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.

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