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

D'Addario EXL116 (11-14-18-30-42-52) in Open D on a 25" scale

11-52 Medium Top/Heavy Bottom, XL Nickel Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 25" scale, tuned to Open D (D4 A3 F#3 D3 A2 D2), pulls 109.0 lb49.4 kg485 N in total and 18.2 lb8.24 kg81 N per string on average. That is a medium feel for an electric guitar. The set is uneven (spread 24.0%). String 5 (A2) deviates most: +36% from the set average.

Total tension: 109.0 lb49.4 kg485 N
Average per string: 18.2 lb8.24 kg81 N
Feel: medium; medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string; Set your own preferred feel
Balance: uneven; spread 24.0%

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	D4	293.7	.011	PL011	plain	15.0 lb6.79 kg67 N	−18%
2	A3	220.0	.014	PL014	plain	13.6 lb6.16 kg60 N	−25%
3	F#3	185.0	.018	PL018	plain	15.9 lb7.23 kg71 N	−12%
4	D3	146.8	.030	NW030	wound	23.8 lb10.79 kg106 N	+31%
5	A2	110.0	.042	NW042	wound	24.6 lb11.17 kg110 N	+36%
6	D2	73.4	.052	NW052	wound	16.1 lb7.31 kg72 N	−11%
Total						109.0 lb49.4 kg485 N

Open in the calculator

Similar sets in Open D, 25"

Set	Gauges	Avg per string	Total	Feel	Balance
D'Addario NYXL1052	10-13-17-30-42-52	17.1 lb7.75 kg76 N	102.6 lb46.5 kg456 N	medium	uneven
D'Addario EXL140	10-13-17-30-42-52	17.1 lb7.78 kg76 N	102.9 lb46.7 kg458 N	medium	uneven
D'Addario EXL115BT	11-15-19-28-37-50	17.2 lb7.79 kg76 N	103.1 lb46.8 kg459 N	medium	uneven
D'Addario EPN115	11-14-18-27-37-48	17.3 lb7.85 kg77 N	103.8 lb47.1 kg462 N	medium	uneven
D'Addario NYXL1152	11-14-18-30-42-52	18.1 lb8.22 kg81 N	108.7 lb49.3 kg484 N	medium	uneven
EXL116 (this page)	11-14-18-30-42-52	18.2 lb8.24 kg81 N	109.0 lb49.4 kg485 N	medium	uneven

Best match for a medium feel in Open D, 25"

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

D'Addario EXL115BT 11-15-19-28-37-50 deviation 12.4%, average 17.2 lb7.79 kg76 N, uneven
D'Addario NYXL1149 11-14-18-28-38-49 deviation 15.8%, average 16.5 lb7.50 kg74 N, uneven; same gauges: EXL115
D'Addario EPN115 11-14-18-27-37-48 deviation 18.7%, average 17.3 lb7.85 kg77 N, uneven

More for the EXL116

Other tunings on 25": E standard, Drop D, Eb standard, D standard, Drop C, Open G, DADGAD

Open D on other scales: 24.75", 25.5", 26.5", 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.

Sources

D'Addario product page, tension chart for EXL116 (2026-10-31): unit weights derived from the published tensions, cross-checked across sets.