D'Addario · XL Nickel · 11-14-19-32-44-56

D'Addario EXL117 (11-14-19-32-44-56) in DADGAD on a 25.5" scale

11-56 Medium Top/Extra Heavy Bottom, XL Nickel Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 25.5" scale, tuned to DADGAD (D4 A3 G3 D3 A2 D2), pulls 125.9 lb57.1 kg560 N in total and 21.0 lb9.52 kg93 N per string on average. That is a tight feel for an electric guitar. The set is uneven (spread 25.3%). String 5 (A2) deviates most: +33% from the set average.

Total tension: 125.9 lb57.1 kg560 N
Average per string: 21.0 lb9.52 kg93 N
Feel: tight; medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string; Set your own preferred feel
Balance: uneven; spread 25.3%

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	15.6 lb7.06 kg69 N	−26%
2	A3	220.0	.014	PL014	plain	14.1 lb6.41 kg63 N	−33%
3	G3	196.0	.019	PL019	plain	20.7 lb9.39 kg92 N	−1%
4	D3	146.8	.032	NW032	wound	27.6 lb12.53 kg123 N	+32%
5	A2	110.0	.044	NW044	wound	27.9 lb12.64 kg124 N	+33%
6	D2	73.4	.056	NW056	wound	20.0 lb9.08 kg89 N	−5%
Total						125.9 lb57.1 kg560 N

Open in the calculator

Similar sets in DADGAD, 25.5"

Set	Gauges	Avg per string	Total	Feel	Balance
D'Addario NYXL1152	11-14-18-30-42-52	19.2 lb8.70 kg85 N	115.1 lb52.2 kg512 N	tight	uneven
D'Addario EXL116	11-14-18-30-42-52	19.2 lb8.73 kg86 N	115.4 lb52.4 kg514 N	tight	uneven
D'Addario NYXL1156	11-14-19-32-44-56	20.9 lb9.49 kg93 N	125.5 lb56.9 kg558 N	tight	uneven
EXL117 (this page)	11-14-19-32-44-56	21.0 lb9.52 kg93 N	125.9 lb57.1 kg560 N	tight	uneven
D'Addario NYXL1254	12-16-20-32-42-54	22.0 lb9.96 kg98 N	131.7 lb59.8 kg586 N	tight	uneven
D'Addario EXL145	12-16-20-32-42-54	22.0 lb9.98 kg98 N	132.1 lb59.9 kg587 N	tight	uneven

Best match for a medium feel in DADGAD, 25.5"

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 15.8%, average 18.3 lb8.28 kg81 N, uneven
D'Addario EXL110BT 10-13.5-17-25-34-46 deviation 16.4%, average 15.1 lb6.84 kg67 N, uneven
D'Addario NYXL1149 11-14-18-28-38-49 deviation 16.5%, average 17.5 lb7.96 kg78 N, uneven; same gauges: EXL115

More for the EXL117

Other tunings on 25.5": E standard, Drop D, Eb standard, D standard, Drop C, C standard, Open G, Open D

DADGAD on other scales: 24.75", 25"

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 EXL117 (2026-10-31): unit weights derived from the published tensions, cross-checked across sets.