String Tension Lab Calculator

D'Addario · XL Nickel Balanced Tension · 11-15-19-28-37-50

D'Addario EXL115BT (11-15-19-28-37-50) in D standard on a 24.75" scale

11-50 Medium Balanced Tension, XL Nickel Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 24.75" scale, tuned to D standard (D4 A3 F3 C3 G2 D2), pulls 91.1 lb41.3 kg405 N in total and 15.2 lb6.89 kg68 N per string on average. That is a loose feel for an electric guitar. The set is very even (spread 2.6%). String 4 (C3) deviates most: +4% from the set average.

Total tension
91.1 lb41.3 kg405 N
Average per string
15.2 lb6.89 kg68 N
Feel
loose
medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string
Set your own preferred feel
Balance
very even
spread 2.6%

Tension per string

051015lb02468kg020406080Nset averagemedium (10-46)1D4.01114.7 lb6.65 kg65 N2A3.01515.3 lb6.96 kg68 N3F3.01915.5 lb7.02 kg69 N4C3.02815.8 lb7.16 kg70 N5G2.03715.1 lb6.86 kg67 N6D2.05014.7 lb6.69 kg66 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 .011PL011plain 14.7 lb6.65 kg65 N−3%
2A3220.0 .015PL015plain 15.3 lb6.96 kg68 N+1%
3F3174.6 .019PL019plain 15.5 lb7.02 kg69 N+2%
4C3130.8 .028NW028wound 15.8 lb7.16 kg70 N+4%
5G298.0 .037NW037wound 15.1 lb6.86 kg67 N−0%
6D273.4 .050NW050wound 14.7 lb6.69 kg66 N−3%
Total91.1 lb41.3 kg405 N

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Similar sets in D standard, 24.75"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
D'Addario NYXL1149 11-14-18-28-38-4914.6 lb6.61 kg65 N 87.4 lb39.6 kg389 Nlooseeven
D'Addario EXL115 11-14-18-28-38-4914.6 lb6.63 kg65 N 87.6 lb39.8 kg390 Nlooseeven
D'Addario NYXL1052 10-13-17-30-42-5214.9 lb6.75 kg66 N 89.3 lb40.5 kg397 Nlooseuneven
D'Addario EXL140 10-13-17-30-42-5214.9 lb6.77 kg66 N 89.5 lb40.6 kg398 Nlooseuneven
EXL115BT (this page) 11-15-19-28-37-5015.2 lb6.89 kg68 N 91.1 lb41.3 kg405 Nloosevery even
D'Addario EPN115 11-14-18-27-37-4815.2 lb6.90 kg68 N 91.3 lb41.4 kg406 Nloosemoderately uneven

Best match for a medium feel in D standard, 24.75"

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

  1. D'Addario NYXL1254 12-16-20-32-42-54 deviation 9.7%, average 18.2 lb8.27 kg81 N, even; same gauges: EXL145
  2. D'Addario EXL115BT 11-15-19-28-37-50 deviation 11.4%, average 15.2 lb6.89 kg68 N, very even
  3. D'Addario EPN115 11-14-18-27-37-48 deviation 13.6%, average 15.2 lb6.90 kg68 N, moderately uneven

More for the EXL115BT

Other tunings on 24.75": E standard, Drop D, Eb standard, Drop C, C standard, Open G, Open D, DADGAD

D standard on other scales: 25", 25.5", 26.5", 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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