String Tension Lab Calculator

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

D'Addario EXL117 (11-14-19-32-44-56) in Drop C 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 C (D4 A3 F3 C3 G2 C2), pulls 118.9 lb53.9 kg529 N in total and 19.8 lb8.99 kg88 N per string on average. That is a tight feel for an electric guitar. The set is uneven (spread 17.8%). String 5 (G2) deviates most: +25% from the set average.

Total tension
118.9 lb53.9 kg529 N
Average per string
19.8 lb8.99 kg88 N
Feel
tight
medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string
Set your own preferred feel
Balance
uneven
spread 17.8%

Tension per string

01020lb0510kg0255075100Nmedium (10-46)set average1D4.01117.5 lb7.92 kg78 N2A3.01415.9 lb7.19 kg71 N3F3.01918.4 lb8.35 kg82 N4C3.03224.6 lb11.15 kg109 N5G2.04424.8 lb11.25 kg110 N6C2.05617.8 lb8.08 kg79 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 17.5 lb7.92 kg78 N−12%
2A3220.0 .014PL014plain 15.9 lb7.19 kg71 N−20%
3F3174.6 .019PL019plain 18.4 lb8.35 kg82 N−7%
4C3130.8 .032NW032wound 24.6 lb11.15 kg109 N+24%
5G298.0 .044NW044wound 24.8 lb11.25 kg110 N+25%
6C265.4 .056NW056wound 17.8 lb8.08 kg79 N−10%
Total118.9 lb53.9 kg529 N

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Similar sets in Drop C, 27"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
D'Addario EXL116 11-14-18-30-42-5218.3 lb8.29 kg81 N 109.6 lb49.7 kg488 Nmediumuneven
D'Addario NYXL1156 11-14-19-32-44-5619.8 lb8.96 kg88 N 118.5 lb53.8 kg527 Ntightuneven
EXL117 (this page) 11-14-19-32-44-5619.8 lb8.99 kg88 N 118.9 lb53.9 kg529 Ntightuneven
D'Addario ECG24 11-15-22-30-40-5020.8 lb9.43 kg92 N 124.7 lb56.6 kg555 Ntightuneven
D'Addario NYXL1254 12-16-20-32-42-5421.0 lb9.51 kg93 N 125.8 lb57.1 kg560 Ntightmoderately uneven
D'Addario EXL145 12-16-20-32-42-5421.0 lb9.53 kg93 N 126.1 lb57.2 kg561 Ntightmoderately uneven

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

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 9.8%, average 17.5 lb7.93 kg78 N, moderately uneven
  2. D'Addario NYXL1149 11-14-18-28-38-49 deviation 10.9%, average 16.8 lb7.60 kg75 N, moderately uneven; same gauges: EXL115
  3. D'Addario EPN115 11-14-18-27-37-48 deviation 11.9%, average 17.5 lb7.92 kg78 N, moderately uneven

More for the EXL117

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

Drop C on other scales: 24.75", 25", 25.5", 26.5", 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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