String Tension Lab Calculator

D'Addario · XL Nickel · 13-17-26-36-46-62

D'Addario EXL158 (13-17-26-36-46-62) in Drop C on a 24.75" scale

13-62 Light Baritone, 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 131.2 lb59.5 kg583 N in total and 21.9 lb9.92 kg97 N per string on average. That is a tight feel for an electric guitar. The set is moderately uneven (spread 11.4%). String 4 (C3) deviates most: +16% from the set average.

Total tension
131.2 lb59.5 kg583 N
Average per string
21.9 lb9.92 kg97 N
Feel
tight
medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string
Set your own preferred feel
Balance
moderately uneven
spread 11.4%

Tension per string

01020lb0510kg050100Nmedium (10-46)set average1D4.01320.5 lb9.31 kg91 N2A3.01719.7 lb8.94 kg88 N3F3.02624.5 lb11.13 kg109 N4C3.03625.3 lb11.49 kg113 N5G2.04622.5 lb10.22 kg100 N6C2.06218.5 lb8.39 kg82 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 .013PL013plain 20.5 lb9.31 kg91 N−6%
2A3220.0 .017PL017plain 19.7 lb8.94 kg88 N−10%
3F3174.6 .026NW026wound 24.5 lb11.13 kg109 N+12%
4C3130.8 .036NW036wound 25.3 lb11.49 kg113 N+16%
5G298.0 .046NW046wound 22.5 lb10.22 kg100 N+3%
6C265.4 .062NW062wound 18.5 lb8.39 kg82 N−15%
Total131.2 lb59.5 kg583 N

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Similar sets in Drop C, 24.75"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
D'Addario ECG24 11-15-22-30-40-5017.5 lb7.92 kg78 N 104.8 lb47.5 kg466 Nmediumuneven
D'Addario NYXL1254 12-16-20-32-42-5417.6 lb7.99 kg78 N 105.7 lb47.9 kg470 Nmediummoderately uneven
D'Addario EXL145 12-16-20-32-42-5417.7 lb8.01 kg79 N 106.0 lb48.1 kg471 Nmediummoderately uneven
D'Addario NYXL1260 12-16-20-34-46-6019.1 lb8.67 kg85 N 114.7 lb52.0 kg510 Ntightuneven
D'Addario EXL148 12-16-20-34-46-6019.2 lb8.70 kg85 N 115.0 lb52.2 kg512 Ntightuneven
EXL158 (this page) 13-17-26-36-46-6221.9 lb9.92 kg97 N 131.2 lb59.5 kg583 Ntightmoderately 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 EXL158

Other tunings on 24.75": Eb standard, D standard, C standard, B standard, Drop A

Drop C 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.

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