String Tension Lab Calculator

D'Addario · XS Nickel (coated) · 10-13-17-26-36-46

D'Addario XSE1046 (10-13-17-26-36-46) in Open D on a 26.5" scale

10-46 Regular Light, XS Nickel Coated Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 26.5" scale, tuned to Open D (D4 A3 F#3 D3 A2 D2), pulls 97.8 lb44.4 kg435 N in total and 16.3 lb7.40 kg73 N per string on average. That is a medium feel for an electric guitar. The set is uneven (spread 17.5%). String 5 (A2) deviates most: +26% from the set average.

Total tension
97.8 lb44.4 kg435 N
Average per string
16.3 lb7.40 kg73 N
Feel
medium
medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string
Set your own preferred feel
Balance
uneven
spread 17.5%

Tension per string

05101520lb025810kg0255075100Nset averagemedium (10-46)1D4.01013.9 lb6.30 kg62 N2A3.01313.2 lb5.99 kg59 N3F#3.01716.0 lb7.25 kg71 N4D3.02619.8 lb8.97 kg88 N5A2.03620.5 lb9.31 kg91 N6D2.04614.4 lb6.54 kg64 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 .010XSPL010plain 13.9 lb6.30 kg62 N−15%
2A3220.0 .013XSPL013plain 13.2 lb5.99 kg59 N−19%
3F#3185.0 .017XSPL017plain 16.0 lb7.25 kg71 N−2%
4D3146.8 .026XSNW026wound 19.8 lb8.97 kg88 N+21%
5A2110.0 .036XSNW036wound 20.5 lb9.31 kg91 N+26%
6D273.4 .046XSNW046wound 14.4 lb6.54 kg64 N−12%
Total97.8 lb44.4 kg435 N

Open in the calculator

Similar sets in Open D, 26.5"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
D'Addario EPS510 10-13-17-26-36-4615.7 lb7.13 kg70 N 94.3 lb42.8 kg419 Nmediumuneven
D'Addario EXL110BT 10-13.5-17-25-34-4616.0 lb7.24 kg71 N 95.8 lb43.5 kg426 Nmediumuneven
XSE1046 (this page) 10-13-17-26-36-4616.3 lb7.40 kg73 N 97.8 lb44.4 kg435 Nmediumuneven
D'Addario NYXL1046 10-13-17-26-36-4616.3 lb7.40 kg73 N 97.8 lb44.4 kg435 Nmediumuneven
D'Addario EXL110 10-13-17-26-36-4616.3 lb7.41 kg73 N 98.0 lb44.5 kg436 Nmediumuneven
D'Addario NYXL1149 11-14-18-28-38-4918.6 lb8.43 kg83 N 111.5 lb50.6 kg496 Ntightuneven

Best match for a medium feel in Open D, 26.5"

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 13.3%, average 16.0 lb7.24 kg71 N, uneven
  2. D'Addario EPS510 10-13-17-26-36-46 deviation 16.1%, average 15.7 lb7.13 kg70 N, uneven; same gauges: NYXL1046, XSE1046, EXL110
  3. D'Addario EXL115BT 11-15-19-28-37-50 deviation 19.0%, average 19.3 lb8.76 kg86 N, uneven

More for the XSE1046

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

Open D 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