String Tension Lab Calculator

D'Addario · NYXL · 10-13-17-26-36-46

D'Addario NYXL1046 (10-13-17-26-36-46) in Open D on a 24.75" scale

10-46 Regular Light, NYXL Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 24.75" scale, tuned to Open D (D4 A3 F#3 D3 A2 D2), pulls 85.3 lb38.7 kg380 N in total and 14.2 lb6.45 kg63 N per string on average. That is a loose feel for an electric guitar. The set is uneven (spread 17.5%). String 5 (A2) deviates most: +26% from the set average.

Total tension
85.3 lb38.7 kg380 N
Average per string
14.2 lb6.45 kg63 N
Feel
loose
medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string
Set your own preferred feel
Balance
uneven
spread 17.5%

Tension per string

05101520lb02468kg020406080Nset averagemedium (10-46)1D4.01012.1 lb5.50 kg54 N2A3.01311.5 lb5.23 kg51 N3F#3.01713.9 lb6.32 kg62 N4D3.02617.3 lb7.83 kg77 N5A2.03617.9 lb8.13 kg80 N6D2.04612.6 lb5.70 kg56 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 .010NYS010plain 12.1 lb5.50 kg54 N−15%
2A3220.0 .013NYS013plain 11.5 lb5.23 kg51 N−19%
3F#3185.0 .017NYS017plain 13.9 lb6.32 kg62 N−2%
4D3146.8 .026NYNW026wound 17.3 lb7.83 kg77 N+21%
5A2110.0 .036NYNW036wound 17.9 lb8.13 kg80 N+26%
6D273.4 .046NYNW046wound 12.6 lb5.70 kg56 N−12%
Total85.3 lb38.7 kg380 N

Open in the calculator

Similar sets in Open D, 24.75"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
D'Addario EPS510 10-13-17-26-36-4613.7 lb6.22 kg61 N 82.2 lb37.3 kg366 Nlooseuneven
D'Addario EXL110BT 10-13.5-17-25-34-4613.9 lb6.32 kg62 N 83.6 lb37.9 kg372 Nlooseuneven
NYXL1046 (this page) 10-13-17-26-36-4614.2 lb6.45 kg63 N 85.3 lb38.7 kg380 Nlooseuneven
D'Addario XSE1046 10-13-17-26-36-4614.2 lb6.45 kg63 N 85.3 lb38.7 kg380 Nlooseuneven
D'Addario EXL110 10-13-17-26-36-4614.2 lb6.46 kg63 N 85.5 lb38.8 kg380 Nlooseuneven
D'Addario NYXL1149 11-14-18-28-38-4916.2 lb7.35 kg72 N 97.3 lb44.1 kg433 Nmediumuneven

Best match for a medium feel in Open D, 24.75"

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

  1. D'Addario EXL115BT 11-15-19-28-37-50 deviation 12.2%, average 16.8 lb7.64 kg75 N, uneven
  2. D'Addario NYXL1149 11-14-18-28-38-49 deviation 16.0%, average 16.2 lb7.35 kg72 N, uneven; same gauges: EXL115
  3. D'Addario EPN115 11-14-18-27-37-48 deviation 18.3%, average 17.0 lb7.69 kg75 N, uneven

More for the NYXL1046

Other tunings on 24.75": E standard, Drop D, Eb standard, D standard, Open G, DADGAD

Open D on other scales: 25", 25.5", 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