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Elixir · NANOWEB Nickel (coated) · 11-14-18-28-38-49

Elixir 12102 (11-14-18-28-38-49) in Open D on a 25.5"–27" multiscale scale

NANOWEB Nickel (coated) Medium (11-49) on an electric guitar with a 25.5"–27" multiscale scale, tuned to Open D (D4 A3 F#3 D3 A2 D2), pulls 111.7 lb50.7 kg497 N in total and 18.6 lb8.44 kg83 N per string on average. That is a tight feel for an electric guitar. The set is uneven (spread 18.6%). String 5 (A2) deviates most: +28% from the set average.

Total tension
111.7 lb50.7 kg497 N
Average per string
18.6 lb8.44 kg83 N
Feel
tight
medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string
Set your own preferred feel
Balance
uneven
spread 18.6%

Tension per string

01020lb025810kg0255075100Nmedium (10-46)set average1D4.01115.6 lb7.09 kg70 N2A3.01414.5 lb6.60 kg65 N3F#3.01817.3 lb7.86 kg77 N4D3.02822.8 lb10.33 kg101 N5A2.03823.8 lb10.79 kg106 N6D2.04917.6 lb7.99 kg78 N
The bronze dashed line is the medium-feel target: the average per-string tension of a 10-46 set on a 25.5" scale in E standard (17.1 lb7.76 kg76 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 Length Tensionvs avg
1D4293.7 .011AR011plain 25.5" 15.6 lb7.09 kg70 N−16%
2A3220.0 .014AR014plain 25.8" 14.5 lb6.60 kg65 N−22%
3F#3185.0 .018AR018plain 26.1" 17.3 lb7.86 kg77 N−7%
4D3146.8 .028ENN028wound 26.4" 22.8 lb10.33 kg101 N+22%
5A2110.0 .038ENN038wound 26.7" 23.8 lb10.79 kg106 N+28%
6D273.4 .049ENN049wound 27" 17.6 lb7.99 kg78 N−5%
Total111.7 lb50.7 kg497 N

Open in the calculator

Multiscale (fanned frets): string lengths change linearly from 25.5" (treble) to 27" (bass).

Similar sets in Open D, 25.5"–27" multiscale

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
D'Addario NYXL1149 11-14-18-28-38-4918.3 lb8.29 kg81 N 109.7 lb49.8 kg488 Nmediumuneven
D'Addario EXL115 11-14-18-28-38-4918.3 lb8.32 kg82 N 110.0 lb49.9 kg489 Ntightuneven
12102 (this page) 11-14-18-28-38-4918.6 lb8.44 kg83 N 111.7 lb50.7 kg497 Ntightuneven
Elixir 19102 11-14-18-28-38-4918.6 lb8.44 kg83 N 111.7 lb50.7 kg497 Ntightuneven
Elixir 12100 11-14-18-28-38-4918.7 lb8.47 kg83 N 112.0 lb50.8 kg498 Ntightuneven
D'Addario EXL115BT 11-15-19-28-37-5019.0 lb8.61 kg84 N 113.9 lb51.7 kg507 Ntightuneven

Best match for a medium feel in Open D, 25.5"–27" multiscale

Ranked by how close every string is to 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N (lower deviation is better).

  1. D'Addario EXL110BT 10-13.5-17-25-34-46 deviation 15.6%, average 15.7 lb7.12 kg70 N, uneven
  2. D'Addario EPS510 10-13-17-26-36-46 deviation 18.1%, average 15.5 lb7.01 kg69 N, uneven; same gauges: NYXL1046, XSE1046, EXL110
  3. D'Addario EXL115BT 11-15-19-28-37-50 deviation 19.1%, average 19.0 lb8.61 kg84 N, uneven

More for the 12102

Other tunings on 25.5"–27" multiscale: E standard, Drop D, Eb standard, D standard, Drop C, C standard, Open G, DADGAD

Open D on other scales: 24.75", 25", 25.5", 26.5", 27", 28"

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.

Sources