D'Addario · NYXL · 9-11-16-26-36-46

D'Addario NYXL0946 (9-11-16-26-36-46) in Open G on a 26.5" scale

09-46 Super Light Top/Regular Bottom, NYXL Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 26.5" scale, tuned to Open G (D4 B3 G3 D3 G2 D2), pulls 89.5 lb40.6 kg398 N in total and 14.9 lb6.77 kg66 N per string on average. That is a loose feel for an electric guitar. The set is uneven (spread 19.2%). String 4 (D3) deviates most: +33% from the set average.

Total tension: 89.5 lb40.6 kg398 N
Average per string: 14.9 lb6.77 kg66 N
Feel: loose; medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string; Set your own preferred feel
Balance: uneven; spread 19.2%

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	.009	NYS009	plain	11.2 lb5.10 kg50 N	−25%
2	B3	246.9	.011	NYS011	plain	11.9 lb5.39 kg53 N	−20%
3	G3	196.0	.016	NYS016	plain	15.9 lb7.21 kg71 N	+7%
4	D3	146.8	.026	NYNW026	wound	19.8 lb8.97 kg88 N	+33%
5	G2	98.0	.036	NYNW036	wound	16.3 lb7.39 kg73 N	+9%
6	D2	73.4	.046	NYNW046	wound	14.4 lb6.54 kg64 N	−3%
Total						89.5 lb40.6 kg398 N

Open in the calculator

Similar sets in Open G, 26.5"

Set	Gauges	Avg per string	Total	Feel	Balance
D'Addario NYXL0942	9-11-16-24-32-42	13.6 lb6.16 kg60 N	81.5 lb37.0 kg362 N	loose	uneven
D'Addario EXL120	9-11-16-24-32-42	13.6 lb6.17 kg60 N	81.6 lb37.0 kg363 N	loose	uneven
NYXL0946 (this page)	9-11-16-26-36-46	14.9 lb6.77 kg66 N	89.5 lb40.6 kg398 N	loose	uneven
D'Addario EXL125	9-11-16-26-36-46	15.0 lb6.78 kg67 N	89.7 lb40.7 kg399 N	loose	uneven
D'Addario EPS510	10-13-17-26-36-46	15.9 lb7.23 kg71 N	95.7 lb43.4 kg426 N	medium	moderately uneven
D'Addario EXL110BT	10-13.5-17-25-34-46	16.3 lb7.38 kg72 N	97.6 lb44.3 kg434 N	medium	moderately uneven

Best match for a medium feel in Open G, 26.5"

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

D'Addario EXL110BT 10-13.5-17-25-34-46 deviation 12.2%, average 16.3 lb7.38 kg72 N, moderately uneven
D'Addario NYXL1046 10-13-17-26-36-46 deviation 12.2%, average 16.5 lb7.48 kg73 N, uneven; same gauges: XSE1046, EXL110, EPS510
D'Addario NYXL1149 11-14-18-28-38-49 deviation 16.3%, average 18.8 lb8.54 kg84 N, moderately uneven; same gauges: EXL115

More for the NYXL0946

Other tunings on 26.5": E standard, Drop D

Open G on other scales: 27", 28"

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 NYXL0946 (2026-10-31): unit weights derived from the published tensions, cross-checked across sets.