D'Addario · NYXL · 11-14-18-28-38-49

D'Addario NYXL1149 (11-14-18-28-38-49) in Drop C on a 26.5" scale

11-49 Medium, NYXL Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 26.5" scale, tuned to Drop C (D4 A3 F3 C3 G2 C2), pulls 96.9 lb43.9 kg431 N in total and 16.1 lb7.32 kg72 N per string on average. That is a medium feel for an electric guitar. The set is moderately uneven (spread 10.9%). String 6 (C2) deviates most: −20% from the set average.

Total tension: 96.9 lb43.9 kg431 N
Average per string: 16.1 lb7.32 kg72 N
Feel: medium; medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string; Set your own preferred feel
Balance: moderately uneven; spread 10.9%

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	.011	NYS011	plain	16.8 lb7.63 kg75 N	+4%
2	A3	220.0	.014	NYS014	plain	15.3 lb6.93 kg68 N	−5%
3	F3	174.6	.018	NYS018	plain	16.0 lb7.24 kg71 N	−1%
4	C3	130.8	.028	NYNW028	wound	18.0 lb8.17 kg80 N	+12%
5	G2	98.0	.038	NYNW038	wound	17.9 lb8.13 kg80 N	+11%
6	C2	65.4	.049	NYNW049	wound	12.9 lb5.84 kg57 N	−20%
Total						96.9 lb43.9 kg431 N

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Similar sets in Drop C, 26.5"

Set	Gauges	Avg per string	Total	Feel	Balance
NYXL1149 (this page)	11-14-18-28-38-49	16.1 lb7.32 kg72 N	96.9 lb43.9 kg431 N	medium	moderately uneven
D'Addario EXL115	11-14-18-28-38-49	16.2 lb7.34 kg72 N	97.1 lb44.0 kg432 N	medium	moderately uneven
D'Addario NYXL1052	10-13-17-30-42-52	16.4 lb7.46 kg73 N	98.6 lb44.7 kg439 N	medium	uneven
D'Addario EXL140	10-13-17-30-42-52	16.5 lb7.48 kg73 N	98.9 lb44.9 kg440 N	medium	uneven
D'Addario EPN115	11-14-18-27-37-48	16.8 lb7.63 kg75 N	100.9 lb45.8 kg449 N	medium	moderately uneven
D'Addario EXL115BT	11-15-19-28-37-50	16.8 lb7.63 kg75 N	101.0 lb45.8 kg449 N	medium	moderately uneven

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

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

D'Addario EXL115BT 11-15-19-28-37-50 deviation 9.4%, average 16.8 lb7.63 kg75 N, moderately uneven
D'Addario EPN115 11-14-18-27-37-48 deviation 11.4%, average 16.8 lb7.63 kg75 N, moderately uneven
D'Addario EXL115 11-14-18-28-38-49 deviation 11.7%, average 16.2 lb7.34 kg72 N, moderately uneven; same gauges: NYXL1149

More for the NYXL1149

Other tunings on 26.5": E standard, Drop D, Eb standard, D standard, C standard, Open G, Open D, DADGAD

Drop C 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.

Sources

D'Addario product page, tension chart for NYXL1149 (2026-10-31): unit weights derived from the published tensions, cross-checked across sets.