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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 D standard on a 25.5" scale

POLYWEB 80/20 Bronze (coated) Resonator (16-56) on an acoustic guitar with a 25.5" scale, tuned to D standard (D4 A3 F3 C3 G2 D2), pulls 164.2 lb74.5 kg730 N in total and 27.4 lb12.41 kg122 N per string on average. That is a medium feel for an acoustic guitar. The set is uneven (spread 17.2%). String 1 (D4) deviates most: +20% from the set average.

Total tension
164.2 lb74.5 kg730 N
Average per string
27.4 lb12.41 kg122 N
Feel
medium
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 average1D4.01632.8 lb14.87 kg146 N2A3.01823.4 lb10.61 kg104 N3F3.02831.8 lb14.41 kg141 N4C3.03527.8 lb12.61 kg124 N5G2.04526.2 lb11.89 kg117 N6D2.05622.2 lb10.09 kg99 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
1D4293.7 .016AR016plain 32.8 lb14.87 kg146 N+20%
2A3220.0 .018AR018plain 23.4 lb10.61 kg104 N−15%
3F3174.6 .028ABP028wound 31.8 lb14.41 kg141 N+16%
4C3130.8 .035ABP035wound 27.8 lb12.61 kg124 N+2%
5G298.0 .045ABP045wound 26.2 lb11.89 kg117 N−4%
6D273.4 .056ABP056wound 22.2 lb10.09 kg99 N−19%
Total164.2 lb74.5 kg730 N

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Similar sets in D standard, 25.5"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
Elixir 16077 12-16-24-35-45-5623.4 lb10.60 kg104 N 140.2 lb63.6 kg623 Nloosemoderately uneven
Elixir 11100 13-17-26-35-45-5624.3 lb11.01 kg108 N 145.6 lb66.1 kg648 Nloosevery even
Elixir 11102 13-17-26-35-45-5624.3 lb11.01 kg108 N 145.6 lb66.1 kg648 Nloosevery even
D'Addario EJ17 13-17-26-35-45-5624.5 lb11.13 kg109 N 147.3 lb66.8 kg655 Nloosevery even
Elixir 16102 13-17-26-35-45-5624.9 lb11.31 kg111 N 149.6 lb67.9 kg666 Nloosevery even
11125 (this page) 16-18-28-35-45-5627.4 lb12.41 kg122 N 164.2 lb74.5 kg730 Nmediumuneven

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

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 7.5%, average 24.9 lb11.31 kg111 N, very even; same gauges: 11100, 11102
  2. D'Addario EJ17 13-17-26-35-45-56 deviation 8.8%, average 24.5 lb11.13 kg109 N, very even
  3. Elixir 16182 13-17-25-32-42-53 deviation 14.4%, average 23.0 lb10.44 kg102 N, even; same gauges: 11182

More for the 11125

Other tunings on 25.5": Eb standard, Drop C, C standard, B standard, Open D

D 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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