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 Open D on a 28" scale

11-50 Medium Balanced Tension, 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 129.3 lb58.7 kg575 N in total and 21.6 lb9.78 kg96 N per string on average. That is a tight feel for an electric guitar. The set is uneven (spread 12.3%). String 4 (D3) deviates most: +18% from the set average.

Total tension
129.3 lb58.7 kg575 N
Average per string
21.6 lb9.78 kg96 N
Feel
tight
medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string
Set your own preferred feel
Balance
uneven
spread 12.3%

Tension per string

01020lb0510kg050100Nmedium (10-46)set average1D4.01118.8 lb8.51 kg83 N2A3.01519.6 lb8.91 kg87 N3F#3.01922.2 lb10.08 kg99 N4D3.02825.5 lb11.55 kg113 N5A2.03724.4 lb11.06 kg108 N6D2.05018.9 lb8.56 kg84 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 18.8 lb8.51 kg83 N−13%
2A3220.0 .015PL015plain 19.6 lb8.91 kg87 N−9%
3F#3185.0 .019PL019plain 22.2 lb10.08 kg99 N+3%
4D3146.8 .028NW028wound 25.5 lb11.55 kg113 N+18%
5A2110.0 .037NW037wound 24.4 lb11.06 kg108 N+13%
6D273.4 .050NW050wound 18.9 lb8.56 kg84 N−12%
Total129.3 lb58.7 kg575 N

Open in the calculator

Similar sets in Open D, 28"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
D'Addario NYXL1046 10-13-17-26-36-4618.2 lb8.26 kg81 N 109.2 lb49.5 kg486 Nmediumuneven
D'Addario EXL110 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
D'Addario EXL115 11-14-18-28-38-4920.8 lb9.44 kg93 N 124.8 lb56.6 kg555 Ntightuneven
EXL115BT (this page) 11-15-19-28-37-5021.6 lb9.78 kg96 N 129.3 lb58.7 kg575 Ntightuneven
D'Addario EPN115 11-14-18-27-37-4821.7 lb9.84 kg97 N 130.2 lb59.1 kg579 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 EXL115BT

Other tunings on 28": E standard, Drop D, Eb standard, D standard, Drop C, C standard, B 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.

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