String Tension Lab Calculator

D'Addario · XL Nickel · 11-14-18-28-38-49

D'Addario EXL115 (11-14-18-28-38-49) in Drop D on a 26.5" scale

11-49 Medium, XL Nickel Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 26.5" scale, tuned to Drop D (E4 B3 G3 D3 A2 D2), pulls 122.3 lb55.5 kg544 N in total and 20.4 lb9.25 kg91 N per string on average. That is a tight feel for an electric guitar. The set is moderately uneven (spread 11.0%). String 6 (D2) deviates most: −20% from the set average.

Total tension
122.3 lb55.5 kg544 N
Average per string
20.4 lb9.25 kg91 N
Feel
tight
medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string
Set your own preferred feel
Balance
moderately uneven
spread 11.0%

Tension per string

01020lb025810kg0255075100Nmedium (10-46)set average1E4.01121.2 lb9.61 kg94 N2B3.01419.2 lb8.73 kg86 N3G3.01820.1 lb9.12 kg89 N4D3.02822.8 lb10.34 kg101 N5A2.03822.7 lb10.30 kg101 N6D2.04916.3 lb7.39 kg73 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 .011PL011plain 21.2 lb9.61 kg94 N+4%
2B3246.9 .014PL014plain 19.2 lb8.73 kg86 N−6%
3G3196.0 .018PL018plain 20.1 lb9.12 kg89 N−1%
4D3146.8 .028NW028wound 22.8 lb10.34 kg101 N+12%
5A2110.0 .038NW038wound 22.7 lb10.30 kg101 N+11%
6D273.4 .049NW049wound 16.3 lb7.39 kg73 N−20%
Total122.3 lb55.5 kg544 N

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Similar sets in Drop D, 26.5"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
D'Addario NYXL1149 11-14-18-28-38-4920.3 lb9.23 kg90 N 122.0 lb55.4 kg543 Ntightmoderately uneven
EXL115 (this page) 11-14-18-28-38-4920.4 lb9.25 kg91 N 122.3 lb55.5 kg544 Ntightmoderately uneven
D'Addario NYXL1052 10-13-17-30-42-5220.7 lb9.39 kg92 N 124.3 lb56.4 kg553 Ntightuneven
D'Addario EXL140 10-13-17-30-42-5220.8 lb9.42 kg92 N 124.6 lb56.5 kg554 Ntightuneven
D'Addario EPN115 11-14-18-27-37-4821.2 lb9.61 kg94 N 127.2 lb57.7 kg566 Ntightmoderately uneven
D'Addario EXL115BT 11-15-19-28-37-5021.2 lb9.62 kg94 N 127.2 lb57.7 kg566 Ntightmoderately uneven

Best match for a medium feel in Drop D, 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 8.5%, average 17.5 lb7.94 kg78 N, moderately uneven
  2. D'Addario EPS510 10-13-17-26-36-46 deviation 10.6%, average 17.2 lb7.81 kg77 N, moderately uneven; same gauges: NYXL1046, XSE1046, EXL110
  3. D'Addario EXL120 9-11-16-24-32-42 deviation 18.5%, average 14.7 lb6.65 kg65 N, uneven; same gauges: NYXL0942

More for the EXL115

Other tunings on 26.5": 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", 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.

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