String Tension Lab Calculator

D'Addario · NYXL · 11-14-18-28-38-49

D'Addario NYXL1149 (11-14-18-28-38-49) in Open D on a 27" scale

11-49 Medium, NYXL Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 27" scale, tuned to Open D (D4 A3 F#3 D3 A2 D2), pulls 115.7 lb52.5 kg515 N in total and 19.3 lb8.75 kg86 N per string on average. That is a tight feel for an electric guitar. The set is uneven (spread 16.0%). String 4 (D3) deviates most: +22% from the set average.

Total tension
115.7 lb52.5 kg515 N
Average per string
19.3 lb8.75 kg86 N
Feel
tight
medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string
Set your own preferred feel
Balance
uneven
spread 16.0%

Tension per string

01020lb025810kg0255075100Nmedium (10-46)set average1D4.01117.5 lb7.92 kg78 N2A3.01415.9 lb7.19 kg71 N3F#3.01818.6 lb8.43 kg83 N4D3.02823.6 lb10.69 kg105 N5A2.03823.5 lb10.64 kg104 N6D2.04916.8 lb7.63 kg75 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 .011NYS011plain 17.5 lb7.92 kg78 N−10%
2A3220.0 .014NYS014plain 15.9 lb7.19 kg71 N−18%
3F#3185.0 .018NYS018plain 18.6 lb8.43 kg83 N−4%
4D3146.8 .028NYNW028wound 23.6 lb10.69 kg105 N+22%
5A2110.0 .038NYNW038wound 23.5 lb10.64 kg104 N+22%
6D273.4 .049NYNW049wound 16.8 lb7.63 kg75 N−13%
Total115.7 lb52.5 kg515 N

Open in the calculator

Similar sets in Open D, 27"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
NYXL1149 (this page) 11-14-18-28-38-4919.3 lb8.75 kg86 N 115.7 lb52.5 kg515 Ntightuneven
D'Addario EXL115 11-14-18-28-38-4919.3 lb8.77 kg86 N 116.1 lb52.6 kg516 Ntightuneven
D'Addario NYXL1052 10-13-17-30-42-5219.9 lb9.05 kg89 N 119.6 lb54.3 kg532 Ntightuneven
D'Addario EXL115BT 11-15-19-28-37-5020.0 lb9.09 kg89 N 120.3 lb54.6 kg535 Ntightuneven
D'Addario EPN115 11-14-18-27-37-4820.2 lb9.15 kg90 N 121.1 lb54.9 kg539 Ntightuneven
D'Addario NYXL1152 11-14-18-30-42-5221.1 lb9.59 kg94 N 126.8 lb57.5 kg564 Ntightuneven

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

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

  1. D'Addario EXL110BT 10-13.5-17-25-34-46 deviation 12.3%, average 16.6 lb7.52 kg74 N, uneven
  2. D'Addario EPS510 10-13-17-26-36-46 deviation 15.1%, average 16.3 lb7.40 kg73 N, uneven; same gauges: NYXL1046, XSE1046, EXL110
  3. D'Addario NYXL1149 11-14-18-28-38-49 deviation 22.2%, average 19.3 lb8.75 kg86 N, uneven; same gauges: EXL115

More for the NYXL1149

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

Open 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