String Tension Lab Calculator

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

D'Addario EXL116 (11-14-18-30-42-52) in B standard on a 28" scale

11-52 Medium Top/Heavy Bottom, XL Nickel Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 28" scale, tuned to B standard (B3 F#3 D3 A2 E2 B1), pulls 86.3 lb39.1 kg384 N in total and 14.4 lb6.52 kg64 N per string on average. That is a loose feel for an electric guitar. The set is uneven (spread 13.9%). String 5 (E2) deviates most: +21% from the set average.

Total tension
86.3 lb39.1 kg384 N
Average per string
14.4 lb6.52 kg64 N
Feel
loose
medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string
Set your own preferred feel
Balance
uneven
spread 13.9%

Tension per string

051015lb02468kg020406080Nset averagemedium (10-46)1B3.01113.3 lb6.02 kg59 N2F#3.01412.1 lb5.47 kg54 N3D3.01812.6 lb5.71 kg56 N4A2.03016.7 lb7.59 kg74 N5E2.04217.3 lb7.86 kg77 N6B1.05214.3 lb6.48 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
1B3246.9 .011PL011plain 13.3 lb6.02 kg59 N−8%
2F#3185.0 .014PL014plain 12.1 lb5.47 kg54 N−16%
3D3146.8 .018PL018plain 12.6 lb5.71 kg56 N−12%
4A2110.0 .030NW030wound 16.7 lb7.59 kg74 N+16%
5E282.4 .042NW042wound 17.3 lb7.86 kg77 N+21%
6B161.7 .052NW052wound 14.3 lb6.48 kg64 N−1%
Total86.3 lb39.1 kg384 N

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Similar sets in B standard, 28"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
D'Addario NYXL1149 11-14-18-28-38-4913.2 lb5.98 kg59 N 79.1 lb35.9 kg352 Nlooseeven
D'Addario EXL115 11-14-18-28-38-4913.2 lb6.00 kg59 N 79.3 lb36.0 kg353 Nlooseeven
D'Addario EXL115BT 11-15-19-28-37-5013.7 lb6.23 kg61 N 82.5 lb37.4 kg367 Nloosevery even
D'Addario EPN115 11-14-18-27-37-4813.8 lb6.25 kg61 N 82.6 lb37.5 kg368 Nloosemoderately uneven
D'Addario NYXL1152 11-14-18-30-42-5214.3 lb6.51 kg64 N 86.1 lb39.0 kg383 Nlooseuneven
EXL116 (this page) 11-14-18-30-42-5214.4 lb6.52 kg64 N 86.3 lb39.1 kg384 Nlooseuneven

Best match for a medium feel in B standard, 28"

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

  1. D'Addario NYXL1254 12-16-20-32-42-54 deviation 7.3%, average 16.5 lb7.48 kg73 N, even; same gauges: EXL145
  2. D'Addario NYXL1260 12-16-20-34-46-60 deviation 14.3%, average 18.0 lb8.16 kg80 N, uneven; same gauges: EXL148
  3. D'Addario ECG24 11-15-22-30-40-50 deviation 14.5%, average 16.3 lb7.40 kg73 N, uneven

More for the EXL116

Other tunings on 28": Eb standard, D standard, Drop C, C standard, Drop A

B standard on other scales: 27"

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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