D'Addario · XL Nickel · 12-16-20-32-42-54

D'Addario EXL145 (12-16-20-32-42-54) in Drop D on a 25.5" scale

12-54 Heavy Plain Third, XL Nickel Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 25.5" scale, tuned to Drop D (E4 B3 G3 D3 A2 D2), pulls 141.7 lb64.3 kg630 N in total and 23.6 lb10.71 kg105 N per string on average. That is a tight feel for an electric guitar. The set is moderately uneven (spread 11.5%). String 6 (D2) deviates most: −21% from the set average.

Total tension: 141.7 lb64.3 kg630 N
Average per string: 23.6 lb10.71 kg105 N
Feel: tight; medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string; Set your own preferred feel
Balance: moderately uneven; spread 11.5%

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	.012	PL012	plain	23.4 lb10.61 kg104 N	−1%
2	B3	246.9	.016	PL016	plain	23.4 lb10.59 kg104 N	−1%
3	G3	196.0	.020	PL020	plain	23.0 lb10.42 kg102 N	−3%
4	D3	146.8	.032	NW032	wound	27.6 lb12.53 kg123 N	+17%
5	A2	110.0	.042	NW042	wound	25.6 lb11.62 kg114 N	+8%
6	D2	73.4	.054	NW054	wound	18.8 lb8.51 kg83 N	−21%
Total						141.7 lb64.3 kg630 N

Open in the calculator

Similar sets in Drop D, 25.5"

Set	Gauges	Avg per string	Total	Feel	Balance
D'Addario NYXL1152	11-14-18-30-42-52	20.5 lb9.29 kg91 N	122.9 lb55.7 kg547 N	tight	uneven
D'Addario EXL116	11-14-18-30-42-52	20.5 lb9.31 kg91 N	123.2 lb55.9 kg548 N	tight	uneven
D'Addario NYXL1156	11-14-19-32-44-56	22.2 lb10.07 kg99 N	133.2 lb60.4 kg593 N	tight	uneven
D'Addario EXL117	11-14-19-32-44-56	22.3 lb10.10 kg99 N	133.6 lb60.6 kg594 N	tight	uneven
D'Addario NYXL1254	12-16-20-32-42-54	23.6 lb10.69 kg105 N	141.4 lb64.1 kg629 N	tight	moderately uneven
EXL145 (this page)	12-16-20-32-42-54	23.6 lb10.71 kg105 N	141.7 lb64.3 kg630 N	tight	moderately uneven

Best match for a medium feel in Drop D, 25.5"

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

D'Addario EXL110BT 10-13.5-17-25-34-46 deviation 9.2%, average 16.2 lb7.35 kg72 N, moderately uneven
D'Addario EXL110 10-13-17-26-36-46 deviation 11.4%, average 16.5 lb7.49 kg73 N, moderately uneven; same gauges: NYXL1046, XSE1046, EPS510
D'Addario NYXL1149 11-14-18-28-38-49 deviation 15.7%, average 18.8 lb8.54 kg84 N, moderately uneven; same gauges: EXL115

More for the EXL145

Other tunings on 25.5": E standard, Eb standard, D standard, Drop C, C standard, B standard, Open G, Open D, DADGAD

Drop D on other scales: 24.75", 25"

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 EXL145 (2026-10-31): unit weights derived from the published tensions, cross-checked across sets.