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

D'Addario EXL158 (13-17-26-36-46-62) in Drop A on a 26.5" scale

13-62 Light Baritone, XL Nickel Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 26.5" scale, tuned to Drop A (B3 F#3 D3 A2 E2 A1), pulls 106.3 lb48.2 kg473 N in total and 17.7 lb8.04 kg79 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
106.3 lb48.2 kg473 N
Average per string
17.7 lb8.04 kg79 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

05101520lb025810kg0255075100Nmedium (10-46)set average1B3.01316.6 lb7.55 kg74 N2F#3.01716.0 lb7.25 kg71 N3D3.02619.9 lb9.02 kg88 N4A2.03620.5 lb9.31 kg91 N5E2.04618.3 lb8.29 kg81 N6A1.06215.0 lb6.80 kg67 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 16.6 lb7.55 kg74 N−6%
2F#3185.0 .017PL017plain 16.0 lb7.25 kg71 N−10%
3D3146.8 .026NW026wound 19.9 lb9.02 kg88 N+12%
4A2110.0 .036NW036wound 20.5 lb9.31 kg91 N+16%
5E282.4 .046NW046wound 18.3 lb8.29 kg81 N+3%
6A155.0 .062NW062wound 15.0 lb6.80 kg67 N−15%
Total106.3 lb48.2 kg473 N

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Similar sets in Drop A, 26.5"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
D'Addario NYXL1254 12-16-20-32-42-5414.3 lb6.48 kg64 N 85.7 lb38.9 kg381 Nloosemoderately uneven
D'Addario EXL145 12-16-20-32-42-5414.3 lb6.49 kg64 N 85.9 lb39.0 kg382 Nloosemoderately uneven
D'Addario NYXL1260 12-16-20-34-46-6015.5 lb7.03 kg69 N 93.0 lb42.2 kg414 Nlooseuneven
D'Addario EXL148 12-16-20-34-46-6015.5 lb7.05 kg69 N 93.3 lb42.3 kg415 Nlooseuneven
EXL158 (this page) 13-17-26-36-46-6217.7 lb8.04 kg79 N 106.3 lb48.2 kg473 Nmediummoderately uneven

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

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 12.4%, average 17.7 lb8.04 kg79 N, moderately uneven
  2. D'Addario NYXL1260 12-16-20-34-46-60 deviation 15.0%, average 15.5 lb7.03 kg69 N, uneven; same gauges: EXL148
  3. D'Addario EXL145 12-16-20-32-42-54 deviation 18.9%, average 14.3 lb6.49 kg64 N, moderately uneven; same gauges: NYXL1254

More for the EXL158

Other tunings on 26.5": C standard, B standard

Drop A on other scales: 24.75", 25", 25.5", 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.

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