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

D'Addario XSE1046 (10-13-17-26-36-46) in DADGAD on a 28" scale

10-46 Regular Light, XS Nickel Coated Electric Guitar Strings on an electric guitar with a 28" scale, tuned to DADGAD (D4 A3 G3 D3 A2 D2), pulls 111.4 lb50.5 kg496 N in total and 18.6 lb8.42 kg83 N per string on average. That is a tight feel for an electric guitar. The set is uneven (spread 17.5%). String 5 (A2) deviates most: +23% from the set average.

Total tension: 111.4 lb50.5 kg496 N
Average per string: 18.6 lb8.42 kg83 N
Feel: tight; medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string; Set your own preferred feel
Balance: uneven; spread 17.5%

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	.010	XSPL010	plain	15.5 lb7.04 kg69 N	−16%
2	A3	220.0	.013	XSPL013	plain	14.7 lb6.69 kg66 N	−21%
3	G3	196.0	.017	XSPL017	plain	20.0 lb9.09 kg89 N	+8%
4	D3	146.8	.026	XSNW026	wound	22.1 lb10.02 kg98 N	+19%
5	A2	110.0	.036	XSNW036	wound	22.9 lb10.40 kg102 N	+23%
6	D2	73.4	.046	XSNW046	wound	16.1 lb7.30 kg72 N	−13%
Total						111.4 lb50.5 kg496 N

Open in the calculator

Similar sets in DADGAD, 28"

Set	Gauges	Avg per string	Total	Feel	Balance
D'Addario EPS510	10-13-17-26-36-46	17.9 lb8.12 kg80 N	107.4 lb48.7 kg478 N	medium	uneven
D'Addario EXL110BT	10-13.5-17-25-34-46	18.2 lb8.25 kg81 N	109.1 lb49.5 kg485 N	medium	uneven
XSE1046 (this page)	10-13-17-26-36-46	18.6 lb8.42 kg83 N	111.4 lb50.5 kg496 N	tight	uneven
D'Addario NYXL1046	10-13-17-26-36-46	18.6 lb8.42 kg83 N	111.4 lb50.5 kg496 N	tight	uneven
D'Addario EXL110	10-13-17-26-36-46	18.6 lb8.44 kg83 N	111.6 lb50.6 kg496 N	tight	uneven
D'Addario NYXL1149	11-14-18-28-38-49	21.2 lb9.60 kg94 N	126.9 lb57.6 kg565 N	tight	uneven

Best match for a medium feel in DADGAD, 28"

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

D'Addario EXL110BT 10-13.5-17-25-34-46 deviation 15.1%, average 18.2 lb8.25 kg81 N, uneven
D'Addario EPS510 10-13-17-26-36-46 deviation 17.1%, average 17.9 lb8.12 kg80 N, uneven; same gauges: NYXL1046, XSE1046, EXL110
D'Addario EXL120BT 9-12-15-22-30-40 deviation 19.2%, average 14.4 lb6.51 kg64 N, uneven

More for the XSE1046

Other tunings on 28": E standard, Drop D, Eb standard, D standard, Drop C, C standard, Open G, Open D

DADGAD on other scales: 24.75", 25", 25.5", 26.5", 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.

Sources

D'Addario product page, tension chart for XSE1046 (2026-10-31): unit weights derived from the published tensions, cross-checked across sets.