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 A on a 28" scale

11-56 Medium Top/Extra Heavy Bottom, XL Nickel Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 28" scale, tuned to Drop A (B3 F#3 D3 A2 E2 A1), pulls 90.4 lb41.0 kg402 N in total and 15.1 lb6.84 kg67 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
90.4 lb41.0 kg402 N
Average per string
15.1 lb6.84 kg67 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

05101520lb02468kg020406080Nset averagemedium (10-46)1B3.01113.3 lb6.02 kg59 N2F#3.01412.1 lb5.47 kg54 N3D3.01914.0 lb6.35 kg62 N4A2.03218.7 lb8.48 kg83 N5E2.04418.9 lb8.55 kg84 N6A1.05613.5 lb6.14 kg60 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−12%
2F#3185.0 .014PL014plain 12.1 lb5.47 kg54 N−20%
3D3146.8 .019PL019plain 14.0 lb6.35 kg62 N−7%
4A2110.0 .032NW032wound 18.7 lb8.48 kg83 N+24%
5E282.4 .044NW044wound 18.9 lb8.55 kg84 N+25%
6A155.0 .056NW056wound 13.5 lb6.14 kg60 N−10%
Total90.4 lb41.0 kg402 N

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Similar sets in Drop A, 28"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
D'Addario EXL116 11-14-18-30-42-5213.9 lb6.30 kg62 N 83.3 lb37.8 kg371 Nlooseuneven
D'Addario NYXL1156 11-14-19-32-44-5615.0 lb6.82 kg67 N 90.1 lb40.9 kg401 Nlooseuneven
EXL117 (this page) 11-14-19-32-44-5615.1 lb6.84 kg67 N 90.4 lb41.0 kg402 Nlooseuneven
D'Addario ECG24 11-15-22-30-40-5015.8 lb7.17 kg70 N 94.8 lb43.0 kg422 Nmediumuneven
D'Addario NYXL1254 12-16-20-32-42-5415.9 lb7.23 kg71 N 95.7 lb43.4 kg426 Nmediummoderately uneven
D'Addario EXL145 12-16-20-32-42-5416.0 lb7.25 kg71 N 95.9 lb43.5 kg427 Nmediummoderately uneven

Best match for a medium feel in Drop A, 28"

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

  1. D'Addario EXL145 12-16-20-32-42-54 deviation 12.6%, average 16.0 lb7.25 kg71 N, moderately uneven; same gauges: NYXL1254
  2. D'Addario NYXL1260 12-16-20-34-46-60 deviation 13.1%, average 17.3 lb7.85 kg77 N, uneven; same gauges: EXL148
  3. D'Addario ECG24 11-15-22-30-40-50 deviation 18.4%, average 15.8 lb7.17 kg70 N, uneven

More for the EXL117

Other tunings on 28": D standard, Drop C, C standard, B standard

Drop A 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.

Sources