D'Addario · NYXL · 10-13-17-26-36-46

D'Addario NYXL1046 (10-13-17-26-36-46) in Drop D on a 27" scale

10-46 Regular Light, NYXL Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 27" scale, tuned to Drop D (E4 B3 G3 D3 A2 D2), pulls 110.9 lb50.3 kg493 N in total and 18.5 lb8.38 kg82 N per string on average. That is a tight feel for an electric guitar. The set is moderately uneven (spread 11.3%). String 6 (D2) deviates most: −19% from the set average.

Total tension: 110.9 lb50.3 kg493 N
Average per string: 18.5 lb8.38 kg82 N
Feel: tight; medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string; Set your own preferred feel
Balance: moderately uneven; spread 11.3%

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	E4	329.6	.010	NYS010	plain	18.2 lb8.24 kg81 N	−2%
2	B3	246.9	.013	NYS013	plain	17.3 lb7.84 kg77 N	−7%
3	G3	196.0	.017	NYS017	plain	18.6 lb8.45 kg83 N	+1%
4	D3	146.8	.026	NYNW026	wound	20.5 lb9.31 kg91 N	+11%
5	A2	110.0	.036	NYNW036	wound	21.3 lb9.67 kg95 N	+15%
6	D2	73.4	.046	NYNW046	wound	15.0 lb6.79 kg67 N	−19%
Total						110.9 lb50.3 kg493 N

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Similar sets in Drop D, 27"

Set	Gauges	Avg per string	Total	Feel	Balance
D'Addario EXL125	9-11-16-26-36-46	16.8 lb7.60 kg75 N	100.5 lb45.6 kg447 N	medium	uneven
D'Addario EPS510	10-13-17-26-36-46	17.9 lb8.10 kg79 N	107.2 lb48.6 kg477 N	medium	moderately uneven
D'Addario EXL110BT	10-13.5-17-25-34-46	18.2 lb8.25 kg81 N	109.1 lb49.5 kg485 N	medium	moderately uneven
NYXL1046 (this page)	10-13-17-26-36-46	18.5 lb8.38 kg82 N	110.9 lb50.3 kg493 N	tight	moderately uneven
D'Addario XSE1046	10-13-17-26-36-46	18.5 lb8.38 kg82 N	110.9 lb50.3 kg493 N	tight	moderately uneven
D'Addario EXL110	10-13-17-26-36-46	18.5 lb8.40 kg82 N	111.1 lb50.4 kg494 N	tight	moderately uneven

Best match for a medium feel in Drop D, 27"

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 10.6%, average 18.2 lb8.25 kg81 N, moderately uneven
D'Addario EPS510 10-13-17-26-36-46 deviation 11.9%, average 17.9 lb8.10 kg79 N, moderately uneven; same gauges: NYXL1046, XSE1046, EXL110
D'Addario EXL120 9-11-16-24-32-42 deviation 16.5%, average 15.2 lb6.90 kg68 N, uneven; same gauges: NYXL0942

More for the NYXL1046

Other tunings on 27": E standard, Eb standard, D standard, Drop C, Open G, Open D, DADGAD

Drop D on other scales: 24.75", 25", 25.5", 26.5", 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

D'Addario product page, tension chart for NYXL1046 (2026-10-31): unit weights derived from the published tensions, cross-checked across sets.