D'Addario · XL Nickel · 11-14-18-30-42-52

D'Addario EXL116 (11-14-18-30-42-52) in C standard on a 25.5"–27" multiscale scale

11-52 Medium Top/Heavy Bottom, XL Nickel Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 25.5"–27" multiscale scale, tuned to C standard (C4 G3 Eb3 Bb2 F2 C2), pulls 85.4 lb38.8 kg380 N in total and 14.2 lb6.46 kg63 N per string on average. That is a loose feel for an electric guitar. The set is uneven (spread 16.6%). String 5 (F2) deviates most: +24% from the set average.

Total tension: 85.4 lb38.8 kg380 N
Average per string: 14.2 lb6.46 kg63 N
Feel: loose; medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string; Set your own preferred feel
Balance: uneven; spread 16.6%

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	Length	Tension	vs avg
1	C4	261.6	.011	PL011	plain	25.5"	12.4 lb5.61 kg55 N	−13%
2	G3	196.0	.014	PL014	plain	25.8"	11.5 lb5.21 kg51 N	−19%
3	Eb3	155.6	.018	PL018	plain	26.1"	12.3 lb5.57 kg55 N	−14%
4	Bb2	116.5	.030	NW030	wound	26.4"	16.7 lb7.58 kg74 N	+17%
5	F2	87.3	.042	NW042	wound	26.7"	17.7 lb8.03 kg79 N	+24%
6	C2	65.4	.052	NW052	wound	27"	14.9 lb6.76 kg66 N	+5%
Total							85.4 lb38.8 kg380 N

Open in the calculator

Multiscale (fanned frets): string lengths change linearly from 25.5" (treble) to 27" (bass).

Similar sets in C standard, 25.5"–27" multiscale

Set	Gauges	Avg per string	Total	Feel	Balance
D'Addario NYXL1149	11-14-18-28-38-49	13.0 lb5.91 kg58 N	78.1 lb35.4 kg348 N	loose	moderately uneven
D'Addario EXL115	11-14-18-28-38-49	13.1 lb5.92 kg58 N	78.3 lb35.5 kg348 N	loose	moderately uneven
D'Addario EXL115BT	11-15-19-28-37-50	13.6 lb6.15 kg60 N	81.4 lb36.9 kg362 N	loose	even
D'Addario EPN115	11-14-18-27-37-48	13.6 lb6.18 kg61 N	81.7 lb37.1 kg364 N	loose	uneven
D'Addario NYXL1152	11-14-18-30-42-52	14.2 lb6.44 kg63 N	85.2 lb38.7 kg379 N	loose	uneven
EXL116 (this page)	11-14-18-30-42-52	14.2 lb6.46 kg63 N	85.4 lb38.8 kg380 N	loose	uneven

Best match for a medium feel in C standard, 25.5"–27" multiscale

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

D'Addario NYXL1254 12-16-20-32-42-54 deviation 9.6%, average 16.3 lb7.39 kg72 N, moderately uneven; same gauges: EXL145
D'Addario ECG24 11-15-22-30-40-50 deviation 16.2%, average 16.1 lb7.32 kg72 N, uneven
D'Addario NYXL1260 12-16-20-34-46-60 deviation 17.1%, average 17.8 lb8.08 kg79 N, uneven; same gauges: EXL148

More for the EXL116

Other tunings on 25.5"–27" multiscale: E standard, Drop D, Eb standard, D standard, Drop C, Open G, Open D, DADGAD

C standard on other scales: 25.5", 26.5", 27", 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 EXL116 (2026-10-31): unit weights derived from the published tensions, cross-checked across sets.