D'Addario · NYXL · 12-16-20-32-42-54

D'Addario NYXL1254 (12-16-20-32-42-54) in Drop C on a 25.5" scale

12-54 Heavy, NYXL Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 25.5" scale, tuned to Drop C (D4 A3 F3 C3 G2 C2), pulls 112.2 lb50.9 kg499 N in total and 18.7 lb8.48 kg83 N per string on average. That is a tight feel for an electric guitar. The set is moderately uneven (spread 11.5%). String 6 (C2) deviates most: −21% from the set average.

Total tension: 112.2 lb50.9 kg499 N
Average per string: 18.7 lb8.48 kg83 N
Feel: tight; medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string; Set your own preferred feel
Balance: moderately uneven; spread 11.5%

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	.012	NYS012	plain	18.5 lb8.41 kg83 N	−1%
2	A3	220.0	.016	NYS016	plain	18.5 lb8.41 kg82 N	−1%
3	F3	174.6	.020	NYS020	plain	18.2 lb8.27 kg81 N	−2%
4	C3	130.8	.032	NYNW032	wound	21.8 lb9.90 kg97 N	+17%
5	G2	98.0	.042	NYNW042	wound	20.3 lb9.19 kg90 N	+8%
6	C2	65.4	.054	NYNW054	wound	14.8 lb6.72 kg66 N	−21%
Total						112.2 lb50.9 kg499 N

Open in the calculator

Similar sets in Drop C, 25.5"

Set	Gauges	Avg per string	Total	Feel	Balance
D'Addario NYXL1156	11-14-19-32-44-56	17.6 lb7.99 kg78 N	105.7 lb48.0 kg470 N	medium	uneven
D'Addario EXL117	11-14-19-32-44-56	17.7 lb8.02 kg79 N	106.1 lb48.1 kg472 N	medium	uneven
D'Addario ECG24	11-15-22-30-40-50	18.5 lb8.41 kg82 N	111.2 lb50.5 kg495 N	tight	uneven
NYXL1254 (this page)	12-16-20-32-42-54	18.7 lb8.48 kg83 N	112.2 lb50.9 kg499 N	tight	moderately uneven
D'Addario EXL145	12-16-20-32-42-54	18.7 lb8.50 kg83 N	112.5 lb51.0 kg500 N	tight	moderately uneven
D'Addario NYXL1260	12-16-20-34-46-60	20.3 lb9.20 kg90 N	121.7 lb55.2 kg542 N	tight	uneven

Best match for a medium feel in Drop C, 25.5"

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 12.3%, average 15.6 lb7.07 kg69 N, moderately uneven
D'Addario EPN115 11-14-18-27-37-48 deviation 13.7%, average 15.6 lb7.07 kg69 N, moderately uneven
D'Addario EXL115 11-14-18-28-38-49 deviation 15.6%, average 15.0 lb6.80 kg67 N, moderately uneven; same gauges: NYXL1149

More for the NYXL1254

Other tunings on 25.5": E standard, Drop D, Eb standard, D standard, C standard, B standard, Open G, Open D, DADGAD

Drop C on other scales: 24.75", 25", 26.5", 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 NYXL1254 (2026-10-31): unit weights derived from the published tensions, cross-checked across sets.