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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 25.5" scale

POLYWEB 80/20 Bronze (coated) Resonator (16-56) on an acoustic guitar with a 25.5" scale, tuned to Eb standard (Eb4 Bb3 Gb3 Db3 Ab2 Eb2), pulls 184.3 lb83.6 kg820 N in total and 30.7 lb13.93 kg137 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
184.3 lb83.6 kg820 N
Average per string
30.7 lb13.93 kg137 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

010203040lb051015kg050100150Nmedium (12-53)set average1Eb4.01636.8 lb16.70 kg164 N2Bb3.01826.2 lb11.90 kg117 N3Gb3.02835.7 lb16.18 kg159 N4Db3.03531.2 lb14.16 kg139 N5Ab2.04529.4 lb13.35 kg131 N6Eb2.05625.0 lb11.32 kg111 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 36.8 lb16.70 kg164 N+20%
2Bb3233.1 .018AR018plain 26.2 lb11.90 kg117 N−15%
3Gb3185.0 .028ABP028wound 35.7 lb16.18 kg159 N+16%
4Db3138.6 .035ABP035wound 31.2 lb14.16 kg139 N+2%
5Ab2103.8 .045ABP045wound 29.4 lb13.35 kg131 N−4%
6Eb277.8 .056ABP056wound 25.0 lb11.32 kg111 N−19%
Total184.3 lb83.6 kg820 N

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Similar sets in Eb standard, 25.5"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
Elixir 16077 12-16-24-35-45-5626.2 lb11.89 kg117 N 157.3 lb71.4 kg700 Nmediummoderately uneven
Elixir 11100 13-17-26-35-45-5627.2 lb12.36 kg121 N 163.5 lb74.2 kg727 Nmediumvery even
Elixir 11102 13-17-26-35-45-5627.2 lb12.36 kg121 N 163.5 lb74.2 kg727 Nmediumvery even
D'Addario EJ17 13-17-26-35-45-5627.5 lb12.50 kg123 N 165.3 lb75.0 kg735 Nmediumvery even
Elixir 16102 13-17-26-35-45-5628.0 lb12.70 kg125 N 167.9 lb76.2 kg747 Nmediumvery even
11125 (this page) 16-18-28-35-45-5630.7 lb13.93 kg137 N 184.3 lb83.6 kg820 Ntightuneven

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

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

  1. Elixir 11100 13-17-26-35-45-56 deviation 2.3%, average 27.2 lb12.36 kg121 N, very even; same gauges: 11102, 16102
  2. D'Addario EJ17 13-17-26-35-45-56 deviation 3.8%, average 27.5 lb12.50 kg123 N, very even
  3. Elixir 16182 13-17-25-32-42-53 deviation 5.7%, average 25.8 lb11.72 kg115 N, even; same gauges: 11182

More for the 11125

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

Eb 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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