String Tension Lab Calculator

D'Addario · XL Nickel Balanced Tension · 9-12-15-22-30-40

D'Addario EXL120BT (9-12-15-22-30-40) in Open D on a 26.5" scale

09-40 Super Light Balanced Tension, XL Nickel Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 26.5" scale, tuned to Open D (D4 A3 F#3 D3 A2 D2), pulls 75.6 lb34.3 kg336 N in total and 12.6 lb5.72 kg56 N per string on average. That is a loose feel for an electric guitar. The set is uneven (spread 12.2%). String 5 (A2) deviates most: +19% from the set average.

Total tension
75.6 lb34.3 kg336 N
Average per string
12.6 lb5.72 kg56 N
Feel
loose
medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string
Set your own preferred feel
Balance
uneven
spread 12.2%

Tension per string

051015lb02468kg020406080Nset averagemedium (10-46)1D4.00911.2 lb5.10 kg50 N2A3.01211.3 lb5.10 kg50 N3F#3.01512.4 lb5.64 kg55 N4D3.02214.4 lb6.52 kg64 N5A2.03015.0 lb6.80 kg67 N6D2.04011.3 lb5.14 kg50 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 .009PL009plain 11.2 lb5.10 kg50 N−11%
2A3220.0 .012PL012plain 11.3 lb5.10 kg50 N−11%
3F#3185.0 .015PL015plain 12.4 lb5.64 kg55 N−1%
4D3146.8 .022NW022wound 14.4 lb6.52 kg64 N+14%
5A2110.0 .030NW030wound 15.0 lb6.80 kg67 N+19%
6D273.4 .040NW040wound 11.3 lb5.14 kg50 N−10%
Total75.6 lb34.3 kg336 N

Open in the calculator

Similar sets in Open D, 26.5"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
EXL120BT (this page) 9-12-15-22-30-4012.6 lb5.72 kg56 N 75.6 lb34.3 kg336 Nlooseuneven
D'Addario EPS510 10-13-17-26-36-4615.7 lb7.13 kg70 N 94.3 lb42.8 kg419 Nmediumuneven
D'Addario EXL110BT 10-13.5-17-25-34-4616.0 lb7.24 kg71 N 95.8 lb43.5 kg426 Nmediumuneven
D'Addario NYXL1046 10-13-17-26-36-4616.3 lb7.40 kg73 N 97.8 lb44.4 kg435 Nmediumuneven
D'Addario XSE1046 10-13-17-26-36-4616.3 lb7.40 kg73 N 97.8 lb44.4 kg435 Nmediumuneven
D'Addario EXL110 10-13-17-26-36-4616.3 lb7.41 kg73 N 98.0 lb44.5 kg436 Nmediumuneven

Best match for a medium feel in Open D, 26.5"

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

  1. D'Addario EXL110BT 10-13.5-17-25-34-46 deviation 13.3%, average 16.0 lb7.24 kg71 N, uneven
  2. D'Addario EPS510 10-13-17-26-36-46 deviation 16.1%, average 15.7 lb7.13 kg70 N, uneven; same gauges: NYXL1046, XSE1046, EXL110
  3. D'Addario EXL115BT 11-15-19-28-37-50 deviation 19.0%, average 19.3 lb8.76 kg86 N, uneven

More for the EXL120BT

Other tunings on 26.5": E standard, Drop D, Eb standard, D standard, Open G, DADGAD

Open D on other scales: 27", 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.

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