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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 Drop D on a 25" scale

POLYWEB 80/20 Bronze (coated) Medium (13-56) on an acoustic guitar with a 25" scale, tuned to Drop D (E4 B3 G3 D3 A2 D2), pulls 170.8 lb77.5 kg760 N in total and 28.5 lb12.91 kg127 N per string on average. That is a medium feel for an acoustic guitar. The set is moderately uneven (spread 8.6%). String 6 (D2) deviates most: −25% from the set average.

Total tension
170.8 lb77.5 kg760 N
Average per string
28.5 lb12.91 kg127 N
Feel
medium
medium ≈ 26.8 lb12.14 kg119 N per string
Set your own preferred feel
Balance
moderately uneven
spread 8.6%

Tension per string

0102030lb051015kg050100150Nmedium (12-53)set average1E4.01326.0 lb11.78 kg116 N2B3.01725.3 lb11.50 kg113 N3G3.02632.7 lb14.84 kg145 N4D3.03533.7 lb15.27 kg150 N5A2.04531.7 lb14.40 kg141 N6D2.05621.4 lb9.70 kg95 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
1E4329.6 .013AR013plain 26.0 lb11.78 kg116 N−9%
2B3246.9 .017AR017plain 25.3 lb11.50 kg113 N−11%
3G3196.0 .026ABP026wound 32.7 lb14.84 kg145 N+15%
4D3146.8 .035ABP035wound 33.7 lb15.27 kg150 N+18%
5A2110.0 .045ABP045wound 31.7 lb14.40 kg141 N+12%
6D273.4 .056ABP056wound 21.4 lb9.70 kg95 N−25%
Total170.8 lb77.5 kg760 N

Open in the calculator

Similar sets in Drop D, 25"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
Elixir 16182 13-17-25-32-42-5327.0 lb12.25 kg120 N 162.1 lb73.5 kg721 Nmediummoderately uneven
Elixir 16077 12-16-24-35-45-5627.3 lb12.40 kg122 N 164.0 lb74.4 kg729 Nmediummoderately uneven
11100 (this page) 13-17-26-35-45-5628.5 lb12.91 kg127 N 170.8 lb77.5 kg760 Nmediummoderately uneven
Elixir 11102 13-17-26-35-45-5628.5 lb12.91 kg127 N 170.8 lb77.5 kg760 Nmediummoderately uneven
D'Addario EJ17 13-17-26-35-45-5628.8 lb13.06 kg128 N 172.8 lb78.4 kg769 Nmediummoderately uneven
Elixir 16102 13-17-26-35-45-5629.2 lb13.26 kg130 N 175.4 lb79.6 kg780 Ntightmoderately uneven

Best match for a medium feel in Drop D, 25"

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

  1. Elixir 16052 12-16-24-32-42-53 deviation 8.9%, average 25.3 lb11.46 kg112 N, moderately uneven; same gauges: 11050, 11052
  2. Elixir 11075 12-16-24-35-45-56 deviation 9.6%, average 26.6 lb12.05 kg118 N, moderately uneven; same gauges: 11077, 16077
  3. D'Addario EJ16 12-16-24-32-42-53 deviation 10.3%, average 24.9 lb11.30 kg111 N, moderately uneven; same gauges: XSAPB1253, XSABR1253

More for the 11100

Other tunings on 25": E standard, Eb standard, D standard, Drop C, C standard, Open G, Open D, DADGAD

Drop D on other scales: 24.75", 25.5"

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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