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Elixir · POLYWEB 80/20 Bronze (coated) · 16-18-28-35-45-56

Elixir 11125 (16-18-28-35-45-56) in Eb standard on a 24.75" scale

POLYWEB 80/20 Bronze (coated) Resonator (16-56) on an acoustic guitar with a 24.75" scale, tuned to Eb standard (Eb4 Bb3 Gb3 Db3 Ab2 Eb2), pulls 173.6 lb78.8 kg772 N in total and 28.9 lb13.13 kg129 N per string on average. That is a tight feel for an acoustic guitar. The set is uneven (spread 17.2%). String 1 (Eb4) deviates most: +20% from the set average.

Total tension
173.6 lb78.8 kg772 N
Average per string
28.9 lb13.13 kg129 N
Feel
tight
medium ≈ 26.8 lb12.14 kg119 N per string
Set your own preferred feel
Balance
uneven
spread 17.2%

Tension per string

0102030lb051015kg050100150Nmedium (12-53)set average1Eb4.01634.7 lb15.73 kg154 N2Bb3.01824.7 lb11.21 kg110 N3Gb3.02833.6 lb15.24 kg149 N4Db3.03529.4 lb13.33 kg131 N5Ab2.04527.7 lb12.57 kg123 N6Eb2.05623.5 lb10.67 kg105 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
1Eb4311.1 .016AR016plain 34.7 lb15.73 kg154 N+20%
2Bb3233.1 .018AR018plain 24.7 lb11.21 kg110 N−15%
3Gb3185.0 .028ABP028wound 33.6 lb15.24 kg149 N+16%
4Db3138.6 .035ABP035wound 29.4 lb13.33 kg131 N+2%
5Ab2103.8 .045ABP045wound 27.7 lb12.57 kg123 N−4%
6Eb277.8 .056ABP056wound 23.5 lb10.67 kg105 N−19%
Total173.6 lb78.8 kg772 N

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Similar sets in Eb standard, 24.75"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
Elixir 16077 12-16-24-35-45-5624.7 lb11.20 kg110 N 148.2 lb67.2 kg659 Nloosemoderately uneven
Elixir 11100 13-17-26-35-45-5625.7 lb11.64 kg114 N 154.0 lb69.9 kg685 Nloosevery even
Elixir 11102 13-17-26-35-45-5625.7 lb11.64 kg114 N 154.0 lb69.9 kg685 Nloosevery even
D'Addario EJ17 13-17-26-35-45-5626.0 lb11.77 kg115 N 155.7 lb70.6 kg693 Nmediumvery even
Elixir 16102 13-17-26-35-45-5626.4 lb11.96 kg117 N 158.2 lb71.8 kg704 Nmediumvery even
11125 (this page) 16-18-28-35-45-5628.9 lb13.13 kg129 N 173.6 lb78.8 kg772 Ntightuneven

Best match for a medium feel in Eb standard, 24.75"

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

  1. Elixir 16102 13-17-26-35-45-56 deviation 3.3%, average 26.4 lb11.96 kg117 N, very even; same gauges: 11100, 11102
  2. D'Addario EJ17 13-17-26-35-45-56 deviation 4.0%, average 26.0 lb11.77 kg115 N, very even
  3. Elixir 16182 13-17-25-32-42-53 deviation 9.9%, average 24.3 lb11.04 kg108 N, even; same gauges: 11182

More for the 11125

Other tunings on 24.75": D standard, Drop C, C standard, Open D

Eb standard on other scales: 25", 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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