D'Addario · XL Nickel · 12-16-20-34-46-60

D'Addario EXL148 (12-16-20-34-46-60) in Drop C on a 26.5" scale

12-60 Extra Heavy, XL Nickel Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 26.5" scale, tuned to Drop C (D4 A3 F3 C3 G2 C2), pulls 131.9 lb59.8 kg587 N in total and 22.0 lb9.97 kg98 N per string on average. That is a tight feel for an electric guitar. The set is uneven (spread 13.1%). String 4 (C3) deviates most: +20% from the set average.

Total tension: 131.9 lb59.8 kg587 N
Average per string: 22.0 lb9.97 kg98 N
Feel: tight; medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string; Set your own preferred feel
Balance: uneven; spread 13.1%

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	D4	293.7	.012	PL012	plain	20.0 lb9.09 kg89 N	−9%
2	A3	220.0	.016	PL016	plain	20.0 lb9.08 kg89 N	−9%
3	F3	174.6	.020	PL020	plain	19.7 lb8.93 kg88 N	−10%
4	C3	130.8	.034	NW034	wound	26.3 lb11.92 kg117 N	+20%
5	G2	98.0	.046	NW046	wound	25.8 lb11.72 kg115 N	+18%
6	C2	65.4	.060	NW060	wound	20.0 lb9.07 kg89 N	−9%
Total						131.9 lb59.8 kg587 N

Open in the calculator

Similar sets in Drop C, 26.5"

Set	Gauges	Avg per string	Total	Feel	Balance
D'Addario EXL117	11-14-19-32-44-56	19.1 lb8.66 kg85 N	114.5 lb52.0 kg510 N	tight	uneven
D'Addario ECG24	11-15-22-30-40-50	20.0 lb9.08 kg89 N	120.1 lb54.5 kg534 N	tight	uneven
D'Addario NYXL1254	12-16-20-32-42-54	20.2 lb9.16 kg90 N	121.2 lb55.0 kg539 N	tight	moderately uneven
D'Addario EXL145	12-16-20-32-42-54	20.2 lb9.18 kg90 N	121.5 lb55.1 kg540 N	tight	moderately uneven
D'Addario NYXL1260	12-16-20-34-46-60	21.9 lb9.94 kg97 N	131.5 lb59.6 kg585 N	tight	uneven
EXL148 (this page)	12-16-20-34-46-60	22.0 lb9.97 kg98 N	131.9 lb59.8 kg587 N	tight	uneven

Best match for a medium feel in Drop C, 26.5"

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

D'Addario EXL115BT 11-15-19-28-37-50 deviation 9.4%, average 16.8 lb7.63 kg75 N, moderately uneven
D'Addario EPN115 11-14-18-27-37-48 deviation 11.4%, average 16.8 lb7.63 kg75 N, moderately uneven
D'Addario EXL115 11-14-18-28-38-49 deviation 11.7%, average 16.2 lb7.34 kg72 N, moderately uneven; same gauges: NYXL1149

More for the EXL148

Other tunings on 26.5": D standard, C standard, B standard, Drop A

Drop C on other scales: 24.75", 25", 25.5", 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 EXL148 (2026-10-31): unit weights derived from the published tensions, cross-checked across sets.