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 A on a 25.5" scale

13-62 Light Baritone, XL Nickel Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 25.5" scale, tuned to Drop A (B3 F#3 D3 A2 E2 A1), pulls 98.4 lb44.7 kg438 N in total and 16.4 lb7.44 kg73 N per string on average. That is a medium feel for an electric guitar. The set is moderately uneven (spread 11.4%). String 4 (A2) deviates most: +16% from the set average.

Total tension
98.4 lb44.7 kg438 N
Average per string
16.4 lb7.44 kg73 N
Feel
medium
medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string
Set your own preferred feel
Balance
moderately uneven
spread 11.4%

Tension per string

05101520lb02468kg020406080Nset averagemedium (10-46)1B3.01315.4 lb6.99 kg69 N2F#3.01714.8 lb6.71 kg66 N3D3.02618.4 lb8.35 kg82 N4A2.03619.0 lb8.63 kg85 N5E2.04616.9 lb7.67 kg75 N6A1.06213.9 lb6.30 kg62 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
1B3246.9 .013PL013plain 15.4 lb6.99 kg69 N−6%
2F#3185.0 .017PL017plain 14.8 lb6.71 kg66 N−10%
3D3146.8 .026NW026wound 18.4 lb8.35 kg82 N+12%
4A2110.0 .036NW036wound 19.0 lb8.63 kg85 N+16%
5E282.4 .046NW046wound 16.9 lb7.67 kg75 N+3%
6A155.0 .062NW062wound 13.9 lb6.30 kg62 N−15%
Total98.4 lb44.7 kg438 N

Open in the calculator

Similar sets in Drop A, 25.5"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
D'Addario NYXL1260 12-16-20-34-46-6014.3 lb6.51 kg64 N 86.1 lb39.0 kg383 Nlooseuneven
D'Addario EXL148 12-16-20-34-46-6014.4 lb6.53 kg64 N 86.3 lb39.2 kg384 Nlooseuneven
EXL158 (this page) 13-17-26-36-46-6216.4 lb7.44 kg73 N 98.4 lb44.7 kg438 Nmediummoderately uneven
D'Addario EXL157 14-18-26-44-56-6820.4 lb9.27 kg91 N 122.6 lb55.6 kg545 Ntightuneven

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

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

  1. D'Addario EXL158 13-17-26-36-46-62 deviation 11.7%, average 16.4 lb7.44 kg73 N, moderately uneven
  2. D'Addario EXL148 12-16-20-34-46-60 deviation 19.3%, average 14.4 lb6.53 kg64 N, uneven; same gauges: NYXL1260
  3. D'Addario EXL145 12-16-20-32-42-54 deviation 24.2%, average 13.3 lb6.01 kg59 N, moderately uneven; same gauges: NYXL1254

More for the EXL158

Other tunings on 25.5": D standard, Drop C, C standard, B standard

Drop A on other scales: 24.75", 25", 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.

Sources