String Tension Lab Calculator

D'Addario · NYXL · 11-14-18-30-42-52

D'Addario NYXL1152 (11-14-18-30-42-52) in Open D on a 27" scale

11-52 Medium Top/Heavy Bottom, NYXL Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 27" scale, tuned to Open D (D4 A3 F#3 D3 A2 D2), pulls 126.8 lb57.5 kg564 N in total and 21.1 lb9.59 kg94 N per string on average. That is a tight feel for an electric guitar. The set is uneven (spread 23.8%). String 5 (A2) deviates most: +35% from the set average.

Total tension
126.8 lb57.5 kg564 N
Average per string
21.1 lb9.59 kg94 N
Feel
tight
medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string
Set your own preferred feel
Balance
uneven
spread 23.8%

Tension per string

0102030lb0510kg050100Nmedium (10-46)set average1D4.01117.5 lb7.92 kg78 N2A3.01415.9 lb7.19 kg71 N3F#3.01818.6 lb8.43 kg83 N4D3.03027.6 lb12.52 kg123 N5A2.04228.6 lb12.98 kg127 N6D2.05218.7 lb8.48 kg83 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−17%
2A3220.0 .014NYS014plain 15.9 lb7.19 kg71 N−25%
3F#3185.0 .018NYS018plain 18.6 lb8.43 kg83 N−12%
4D3146.8 .030NYNW030wound 27.6 lb12.52 kg123 N+31%
5A2110.0 .042NYNW042wound 28.6 lb12.98 kg127 N+35%
6D273.4 .052NYNW052wound 18.7 lb8.48 kg83 N−12%
Total126.8 lb57.5 kg564 N

Open in the calculator

Similar sets in Open D, 27"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
D'Addario NYXL1149 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
NYXL1152 (this page) 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 NYXL1152

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", 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