String Tension Lab Calculator

D'Addario · NYXL · 11-14-18-30-42-52

D'Addario NYXL1152 (11-14-18-30-42-52) in E standard on a 26.5" scale

11-52 Medium Top/Heavy Bottom, NYXL Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 26.5" scale, tuned to E standard (E4 B3 G3 D3 A2 E2), pulls 137.4 lb62.3 kg611 N in total and 22.9 lb10.39 kg102 N per string on average. That is a tight feel for an electric guitar. The set is uneven (spread 13.8%). String 5 (A2) deviates most: +20% from the set average.

Total tension
137.4 lb62.3 kg611 N
Average per string
22.9 lb10.39 kg102 N
Feel
tight
medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string
Set your own preferred feel
Balance
uneven
spread 13.8%

Tension per string

0102030lb0510kg050100Nmedium (10-46)set average1E4.01121.2 lb9.61 kg94 N2B3.01419.2 lb8.73 kg86 N3G3.01820.1 lb9.12 kg89 N4D3.03026.6 lb12.06 kg118 N5A2.04227.6 lb12.50 kg123 N6E2.05222.7 lb10.30 kg101 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
1E4329.6 .011NYS011plain 21.2 lb9.61 kg94 N−7%
2B3246.9 .014NYS014plain 19.2 lb8.73 kg86 N−16%
3G3196.0 .018NYS018plain 20.1 lb9.12 kg89 N−12%
4D3146.8 .030NYNW030wound 26.6 lb12.06 kg118 N+16%
5A2110.0 .042NYNW042wound 27.6 lb12.50 kg123 N+20%
6E282.4 .052NYNW052wound 22.7 lb10.30 kg101 N−1%
Total137.4 lb62.3 kg611 N

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Similar sets in E standard, 26.5"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
D'Addario NYXL1052 10-13-17-30-42-5221.5 lb9.75 kg96 N 128.9 lb58.5 kg574 Ntightuneven
D'Addario EXL140 10-13-17-30-42-5221.5 lb9.77 kg96 N 129.3 lb58.6 kg575 Ntightuneven
D'Addario EXL115BT 11-15-19-28-37-5021.9 lb9.95 kg98 N 131.6 lb59.7 kg586 Ntightvery even
D'Addario EPN115 11-14-18-27-37-4822.0 lb9.97 kg98 N 131.9 lb59.8 kg587 Ntightmoderately uneven
NYXL1152 (this page) 11-14-18-30-42-5222.9 lb10.39 kg102 N 137.4 lb62.3 kg611 Ntightuneven
D'Addario EXL116 11-14-18-30-42-5223.0 lb10.41 kg102 N 137.7 lb62.5 kg613 Ntightuneven

Best match for a medium feel in E standard, 26.5"

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

  1. D'Addario EPS510 10-13-17-26-36-46 deviation 6.5%, average 17.8 lb8.07 kg79 N, even; same gauges: NYXL1046, XSE1046, EXL110
  2. D'Addario EXL110BT 10-13.5-17-25-34-46 deviation 6.5%, average 18.1 lb8.23 kg81 N, very even
  3. D'Addario EXL120 9-11-16-24-32-42 deviation 15.1%, average 15.2 lb6.89 kg68 N, moderately uneven; same gauges: NYXL0942

More for the NYXL1152

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

E standard on other scales: 24.75", 25", 25.5", 27", 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.

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