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

D'Addario EXL120BT (9-12-15-22-30-40) in Drop D on a 28" scale

09-40 Super Light Balanced Tension, XL Nickel Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 28" scale, tuned to Drop D (E4 B3 G3 D3 A2 D2), pulls 92.7 lb42.0 kg412 N in total and 15.4 lb7.00 kg69 N per string on average. That is a loose feel for an electric guitar. The set is moderately uneven (spread 8.4%). String 6 (D2) deviates most: −18% from the set average.

Total tension: 92.7 lb42.0 kg412 N
Average per string: 15.4 lb7.00 kg69 N
Feel: loose; medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string; Set your own preferred feel
Balance: moderately uneven; spread 8.4%

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	E4	329.6	.009	PL009	plain	15.8 lb7.17 kg70 N	+2%
2	B3	246.9	.012	PL012	plain	15.8 lb7.18 kg70 N	+2%
3	G3	196.0	.015	PL015	plain	15.6 lb7.07 kg69 N	+1%
4	D3	146.8	.022	NW022	wound	16.0 lb7.28 kg71 N	+4%
5	A2	110.0	.030	NW030	wound	16.7 lb7.59 kg74 N	+8%
6	D2	73.4	.040	NW040	wound	12.6 lb5.73 kg56 N	−18%
Total						92.7 lb42.0 kg412 N

Open in the calculator

Similar sets in Drop D, 28"

Set	Gauges	Avg per string	Total	Feel	Balance
EXL120BT (this page)	9-12-15-22-30-40	15.4 lb7.00 kg69 N	92.7 lb42.0 kg412 N	loose	moderately uneven
D'Addario NYXL0942	9-11-16-24-32-42	16.3 lb7.41 kg73 N	98.1 lb44.5 kg436 N	medium	uneven
D'Addario EXL120	9-11-16-24-32-42	16.4 lb7.42 kg73 N	98.2 lb44.5 kg437 N	medium	uneven
D'Addario NYXL0946	9-11-16-26-36-46	18.0 lb8.16 kg80 N	107.9 lb49.0 kg480 N	medium	uneven
D'Addario EXL125	9-11-16-26-36-46	18.0 lb8.17 kg80 N	108.1 lb49.0 kg481 N	medium	uneven
D'Addario EPS510	10-13-17-26-36-46	19.2 lb8.72 kg85 N	115.3 lb52.3 kg513 N	tight	moderately uneven

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

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

D'Addario EXL120BT 9-12-15-22-30-40 deviation 12.3%, average 15.4 lb7.00 kg69 N, moderately uneven
D'Addario EXL120 9-11-16-24-32-42 deviation 13.9%, average 16.4 lb7.42 kg73 N, uneven; same gauges: NYXL0942
D'Addario EXL110BT 10-13.5-17-25-34-46 deviation 17.0%, average 19.6 lb8.87 kg87 N, moderately uneven

More for the EXL120BT

Other tunings on 28": E standard, Eb standard, D standard, Open G, Open D, DADGAD

Drop D on other scales: 26.5", 27", 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.

Sources

D'Addario product page, tension chart for EXL120BT (2026-10-31): unit weights derived from the published tensions, cross-checked across sets.