D'Addario · XL Nickel · 14-18-26-44-56-68

D'Addario EXL157 (14-18-26-44-56-68) in Drop A on a 24.75" scale

14-68 Medium Baritone, XL Nickel Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 24.75" scale, tuned to Drop A (B3 F#3 D3 A2 E2 A1), pulls 115.5 lb52.4 kg514 N in total and 19.2 lb8.73 kg86 N per string on average. That is a tight feel for an electric guitar. The set is uneven (spread 21.7%). String 4 (A2) deviates most: +36% from the set average.

Total tension: 115.5 lb52.4 kg514 N
Average per string: 19.2 lb8.73 kg86 N
Feel: tight; medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string; Set your own preferred feel
Balance: uneven; spread 21.7%

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	B3	246.9	.014	PL014	plain	16.8 lb7.61 kg75 N	−13%
2	F#3	185.0	.018	PL018	plain	15.6 lb7.09 kg69 N	−19%
3	D3	146.8	.026	NW026	wound	17.3 lb7.87 kg77 N	−10%
4	A2	110.0	.044	NW044	wound	26.3 lb11.91 kg117 N	+36%
5	E2	82.4	.056	NW056	wound	23.8 lb10.78 kg106 N	+23%
6	A1	55.0	.068	NW068	wound	15.7 lb7.13 kg70 N	−18%
Total						115.5 lb52.4 kg514 N

Open in the calculator

Similar sets in Drop A, 24.75"

Set	Gauges	Avg per string	Total	Feel	Balance
D'Addario NYXL1260	12-16-20-34-46-60	13.5 lb6.13 kg60 N	81.1 lb36.8 kg361 N	loose	uneven
D'Addario EXL148	12-16-20-34-46-60	13.6 lb6.15 kg60 N	81.3 lb36.9 kg362 N	loose	uneven
D'Addario EXL158	13-17-26-36-46-62	15.5 lb7.01 kg69 N	92.7 lb42.1 kg413 N	loose	moderately uneven
EXL157 (this page)	14-18-26-44-56-68	19.2 lb8.73 kg86 N	115.5 lb52.4 kg514 N	tight	uneven

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

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

D'Addario EXL158 13-17-26-36-46-62 deviation 14.1%, average 15.5 lb7.01 kg69 N, moderately uneven
D'Addario EXL148 12-16-20-34-46-60 deviation 23.2%, average 13.6 lb6.15 kg60 N, uneven; same gauges: NYXL1260
D'Addario EXL157 14-18-26-44-56-68 deviation 27.5%, average 19.2 lb8.73 kg86 N, uneven

More for the EXL157

Other tunings on 24.75": B standard

Drop A on other scales: 25", 25.5"

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 EXL157 (2026-10-31): unit weights derived from the published tensions, cross-checked across sets.