String Tension Lab Calculator

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

D'Addario EXL116 (11-14-18-30-42-52) in Drop C on a 26.5" scale

11-52 Medium Top/Heavy Bottom, XL Nickel Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 26.5" scale, tuned to Drop C (D4 A3 F3 C3 G2 C2), pulls 105.6 lb47.9 kg470 N in total and 17.6 lb7.98 kg78 N per string on average. That is a medium feel for an electric guitar. The set is uneven (spread 16.6%). String 5 (G2) deviates most: +25% from the set average.

Total tension
105.6 lb47.9 kg470 N
Average per string
17.6 lb7.98 kg78 N
Feel
medium
medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string
Set your own preferred feel
Balance
uneven
spread 16.6%

Tension per string

05101520lb025810kg0255075100Nmedium (10-46)set average1D4.01116.8 lb7.63 kg75 N2A3.01415.3 lb6.93 kg68 N3F3.01816.0 lb7.24 kg71 N4C3.03021.2 lb9.62 kg94 N5G2.04222.0 lb9.96 kg98 N6C2.05214.4 lb6.52 kg64 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 16.8 lb7.63 kg75 N−4%
2A3220.0 .014PL014plain 15.3 lb6.93 kg68 N−13%
3F3174.6 .018PL018plain 16.0 lb7.24 kg71 N−9%
4C3130.8 .030NW030wound 21.2 lb9.62 kg94 N+21%
5G298.0 .042NW042wound 22.0 lb9.96 kg98 N+25%
6C265.4 .052NW052wound 14.4 lb6.52 kg64 N−18%
Total105.6 lb47.9 kg470 N

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Similar sets in Drop C, 26.5"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
D'Addario NYXL1052 10-13-17-30-42-5216.4 lb7.46 kg73 N 98.6 lb44.7 kg439 Nmediumuneven
D'Addario EXL140 10-13-17-30-42-5216.5 lb7.48 kg73 N 98.9 lb44.9 kg440 Nmediumuneven
D'Addario EPN115 11-14-18-27-37-4816.8 lb7.63 kg75 N 100.9 lb45.8 kg449 Nmediummoderately uneven
D'Addario EXL115BT 11-15-19-28-37-5016.8 lb7.63 kg75 N 101.0 lb45.8 kg449 Nmediummoderately uneven
D'Addario NYXL1152 11-14-18-30-42-5217.6 lb7.96 kg78 N 105.3 lb47.8 kg468 Nmediumuneven
EXL116 (this page) 11-14-18-30-42-5217.6 lb7.98 kg78 N 105.6 lb47.9 kg470 Nmediumuneven

Best match for a medium feel in Drop C, 26.5"

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

  1. D'Addario EXL115BT 11-15-19-28-37-50 deviation 9.4%, average 16.8 lb7.63 kg75 N, moderately uneven
  2. D'Addario EPN115 11-14-18-27-37-48 deviation 11.4%, average 16.8 lb7.63 kg75 N, moderately uneven
  3. D'Addario EXL115 11-14-18-28-38-49 deviation 11.7%, average 16.2 lb7.34 kg72 N, moderately uneven; same gauges: NYXL1149

More for the EXL116

Other tunings on 26.5": E standard, Drop D, Eb standard, D standard, C standard, Open G, Open D, DADGAD

Drop C on other scales: 24.75", 25", 25.5", 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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