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

D'Addario EXL117 (11-14-19-32-44-56) in Drop A on a 27" scale

11-56 Medium Top/Extra Heavy Bottom, XL Nickel Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 27" scale, tuned to Drop A (B3 F#3 D3 A2 E2 A1), pulls 84.1 lb38.1 kg374 N in total and 14.0 lb6.36 kg62 N per string on average. That is a loose feel for an electric guitar. The set is uneven (spread 17.8%). String 5 (E2) deviates most: +25% from the set average.

Total tension: 84.1 lb38.1 kg374 N
Average per string: 14.0 lb6.36 kg62 N
Feel: loose; medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string; Set your own preferred feel
Balance: uneven; spread 17.8%

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	B3	246.9	.011	PL011	plain	12.3 lb5.60 kg55 N	−12%
2	F#3	185.0	.014	PL014	plain	11.2 lb5.08 kg50 N	−20%
3	D3	146.8	.019	PL019	plain	13.0 lb5.91 kg58 N	−7%
4	A2	110.0	.032	NW032	wound	17.4 lb7.88 kg77 N	+24%
5	E2	82.4	.044	NW044	wound	17.5 lb7.95 kg78 N	+25%
6	A1	55.0	.056	NW056	wound	12.6 lb5.71 kg56 N	−10%
Total						84.1 lb38.1 kg374 N

Open in the calculator

Similar sets in Drop A, 27"

Set	Gauges	Avg per string	Total	Feel	Balance
D'Addario NYXL1156	11-14-19-32-44-56	14.0 lb6.34 kg62 N	83.8 lb38.0 kg373 N	loose	uneven
EXL117 (this page)	11-14-19-32-44-56	14.0 lb6.36 kg62 N	84.1 lb38.1 kg374 N	loose	uneven
D'Addario ECG24	11-15-22-30-40-50	14.7 lb6.67 kg65 N	88.2 lb40.0 kg392 N	loose	uneven
D'Addario NYXL1254	12-16-20-32-42-54	14.8 lb6.72 kg66 N	89.0 lb40.3 kg396 N	loose	moderately uneven
D'Addario EXL145	12-16-20-32-42-54	14.9 lb6.74 kg66 N	89.2 lb40.4 kg397 N	loose	moderately uneven
D'Addario NYXL1260	12-16-20-34-46-60	16.1 lb7.30 kg72 N	96.5 lb43.8 kg429 N	medium	uneven

Best match for a medium feel in Drop A, 27"

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

D'Addario NYXL1260 12-16-20-34-46-60 deviation 13.5%, average 16.1 lb7.30 kg72 N, uneven; same gauges: EXL148
D'Addario EXL158 13-17-26-36-46-62 deviation 14.4%, average 18.4 lb8.34 kg82 N, moderately uneven
D'Addario EXL145 12-16-20-32-42-54 deviation 16.5%, average 14.9 lb6.74 kg66 N, moderately uneven; same gauges: NYXL1254

More for the EXL117

Other tunings on 27": Eb standard, D standard, Drop C, C standard, B standard

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