String Tension Lab Calculator

D'Addario · XL Nickel · 10-13-17-30-42-52

D'Addario EXL140 (10-13-17-30-42-52) in Drop C on a 24.75" scale

10-52 Light Top/Heavy Bottom, XL Nickel Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 24.75" scale, tuned to Drop C (D4 A3 F3 C3 G2 C2), pulls 86.3 lb39.1 kg384 N in total and 14.4 lb6.52 kg64 N per string on average. That is a loose feel for an electric guitar. The set is uneven (spread 22.1%). String 5 (G2) deviates most: +33% from the set average.

Total tension
86.3 lb39.1 kg384 N
Average per string
14.4 lb6.52 kg64 N
Feel
loose
medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string
Set your own preferred feel
Balance
uneven
spread 22.1%

Tension per string

05101520lb02468kg020406080Nset averagemedium (10-46)1D4.01012.1 lb5.50 kg54 N2A3.01311.5 lb5.23 kg51 N3F3.01712.4 lb5.63 kg55 N4C3.03018.5 lb8.39 kg82 N5G2.04219.2 lb8.69 kg85 N6C2.05212.5 lb5.68 kg56 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 .010PL010plain 12.1 lb5.50 kg54 N−16%
2A3220.0 .013PL013plain 11.5 lb5.23 kg51 N−20%
3F3174.6 .017PL017plain 12.4 lb5.63 kg55 N−14%
4C3130.8 .030NW030wound 18.5 lb8.39 kg82 N+29%
5G298.0 .042NW042wound 19.2 lb8.69 kg85 N+33%
6C265.4 .052NW052wound 12.5 lb5.68 kg56 N−13%
Total86.3 lb39.1 kg384 N

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Similar sets in Drop C, 24.75"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
D'Addario NYXL1149 11-14-18-28-38-4914.1 lb6.39 kg63 N 84.5 lb38.3 kg376 Nloosemoderately uneven
D'Addario EXL115 11-14-18-28-38-4914.1 lb6.40 kg63 N 84.7 lb38.4 kg377 Nloosemoderately uneven
D'Addario NYXL1052 10-13-17-30-42-5214.3 lb6.50 kg64 N 86.0 lb39.0 kg383 Nlooseuneven
EXL140 (this page) 10-13-17-30-42-5214.4 lb6.52 kg64 N 86.3 lb39.1 kg384 Nlooseuneven
D'Addario EPN115 11-14-18-27-37-4814.7 lb6.66 kg65 N 88.1 lb39.9 kg392 Nloosemoderately uneven
D'Addario EXL115BT 11-15-19-28-37-5014.7 lb6.66 kg65 N 88.1 lb40.0 kg392 Nloosemoderately uneven

Best match for a medium feel in Drop C, 24.75"

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

  1. D'Addario NYXL1254 12-16-20-32-42-54 deviation 12.2%, average 17.6 lb7.99 kg78 N, moderately uneven; same gauges: EXL145
  2. D'Addario EXL115BT 11-15-19-28-37-50 deviation 16.3%, average 14.7 lb6.66 kg65 N, moderately uneven
  3. D'Addario EPN115 11-14-18-27-37-48 deviation 17.2%, average 14.7 lb6.66 kg65 N, moderately uneven

More for the EXL140

Other tunings on 24.75": E standard, Drop D, Eb standard, D standard, Open G, Open D, DADGAD

Drop C on other scales: 25", 25.5", 26.5", 27", 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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