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

D'Addario EXL115BT (11-15-19-28-37-50) in B standard on a 27" scale

11-50 Medium Balanced Tension, XL Nickel Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 27" scale, tuned to B standard (B3 F#3 D3 A2 E2 B1), pulls 76.7 lb34.8 kg341 N in total and 12.8 lb5.80 kg57 N per string on average. That is a loose feel for an electric guitar. The set is very even (spread 2.6%). String 4 (A2) deviates most: +4% from the set average.

Total tension: 76.7 lb34.8 kg341 N
Average per string: 12.8 lb5.80 kg57 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

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	B3	246.9	.011	PL011	plain	12.3 lb5.60 kg55 N	−3%
2	F#3	185.0	.015	PL015	plain	12.9 lb5.86 kg57 N	+1%
3	D3	146.8	.019	PL019	plain	13.0 lb5.91 kg58 N	+2%
4	A2	110.0	.028	NW028	wound	13.3 lb6.03 kg59 N	+4%
5	E2	82.4	.037	NW037	wound	12.7 lb5.77 kg57 N	−0%
6	B1	61.7	.050	NW050	wound	12.4 lb5.63 kg55 N	−3%
Total						76.7 lb34.8 kg341 N

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Similar sets in B standard, 27"

Set	Gauges	Avg per string	Total	Feel	Balance
D'Addario NYXL1149	11-14-18-28-38-49	12.3 lb5.56 kg55 N	73.5 lb33.4 kg327 N	loose	even
D'Addario EXL115	11-14-18-28-38-49	12.3 lb5.58 kg55 N	73.7 lb33.5 kg328 N	loose	even
EXL115BT (this page)	11-15-19-28-37-50	12.8 lb5.80 kg57 N	76.7 lb34.8 kg341 N	loose	very even
D'Addario EPN115	11-14-18-27-37-48	12.8 lb5.81 kg57 N	76.8 lb34.8 kg342 N	loose	moderately uneven
D'Addario NYXL1152	11-14-18-30-42-52	13.3 lb6.05 kg59 N	80.0 lb36.3 kg356 N	loose	uneven
D'Addario EXL116	11-14-18-30-42-52	13.4 lb6.07 kg59 N	80.2 lb36.4 kg357 N	loose	uneven

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

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

D'Addario EXL145 12-16-20-32-42-54 deviation 11.8%, average 15.4 lb6.97 kg68 N, even; same gauges: NYXL1254
D'Addario NYXL1260 12-16-20-34-46-60 deviation 12.6%, average 16.7 lb7.58 kg74 N, uneven; same gauges: EXL148
D'Addario EXL158 13-17-26-36-46-62 deviation 15.2%, average 19.1 lb8.65 kg85 N, moderately uneven

More for the EXL115BT

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

B standard on other scales: 26.5", 28"

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 EXL115BT (2026-10-31): unit weights derived from the published tensions, cross-checked across sets.