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Elixir · POLYWEB 80/20 Bronze (coated) · 13-17-26-35-45-56

Elixir 11100 (13-17-26-35-45-56) in C standard on a 25.5" scale

POLYWEB 80/20 Bronze (coated) Medium (13-56) on an acoustic guitar with a 25.5" scale, tuned to C standard (C4 G3 Eb3 Bb2 F2 C2), pulls 115.6 lb52.4 kg514 N in total and 19.3 lb8.74 kg86 N per string on average. That is a loose feel for an acoustic guitar. The set is very even (spread 1.4%). String 4 (Bb2) deviates most: +15% from the set average.

Total tension
115.6 lb52.4 kg514 N
Average per string
19.3 lb8.74 kg86 N
Feel
loose
medium ≈ 26.8 lb12.14 kg119 N per string
Set your own preferred feel
Balance
very even
spread 1.4%

Tension per string

01020lb0510kg050100Nset averagemedium (12-53)1C4.01317.0 lb7.72 kg76 N2G3.01716.6 lb7.53 kg74 N3Eb3.02621.4 lb9.72 kg95 N4Bb2.03522.1 lb10.01 kg98 N5F2.04520.8 lb9.44 kg93 N6C2.05617.7 lb8.01 kg79 N
The bronze dashed line is the medium-feel target: the average per-string tension of a 12-53 set on a 25.5" scale in E standard (26.8 lb12.14 kg119 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
1C4261.6 .013AR013plain 17.0 lb7.72 kg76 N−12%
2G3196.0 .017AR017plain 16.6 lb7.53 kg74 N−14%
3Eb3155.6 .026ABP026wound 21.4 lb9.72 kg95 N+11%
4Bb2116.5 .035ABP035wound 22.1 lb10.01 kg98 N+15%
5F287.3 .045ABP045wound 20.8 lb9.44 kg93 N+8%
6C265.4 .056ABP056wound 17.7 lb8.01 kg79 N−8%
Total115.6 lb52.4 kg514 N

Open in the calculator

Similar sets in C standard, 25.5"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
Elixir 11182 13-17-25-32-42-5317.7 lb8.02 kg79 N 106.1 lb48.1 kg472 Nlooseeven
Elixir 16182 13-17-25-32-42-5318.3 lb8.29 kg81 N 109.6 lb49.7 kg488 Nlooseeven
11100 (this page) 13-17-26-35-45-5619.3 lb8.74 kg86 N 115.6 lb52.4 kg514 Nloosevery even
Elixir 11102 13-17-26-35-45-5619.3 lb8.74 kg86 N 115.6 lb52.4 kg514 Nloosevery even
D'Addario EJ17 13-17-26-35-45-5619.5 lb8.84 kg87 N 116.9 lb53.0 kg520 Nloosevery even
Elixir 16102 13-17-26-35-45-5619.8 lb8.98 kg88 N 118.7 lb53.9 kg528 Nloosevery even

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

Ranked by how close every string is to 26.8 lb12.14 kg119 N (lower deviation is better).

  1. Elixir 11125 16-18-28-35-45-56 deviation 22.9%, average 21.7 lb9.85 kg97 N, uneven
  2. Elixir 16102 13-17-26-35-45-56 deviation 26.3%, average 19.8 lb8.98 kg88 N, very even; same gauges: 11100, 11102
  3. D'Addario EJ17 13-17-26-35-45-56 deviation 27.4%, average 19.5 lb8.84 kg87 N, very even

More for the 11100

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

C standard on other scales: 24.75", 25"

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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