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

Elixir 12102 (11-14-18-28-38-49) in E standard on a 26.5" scale

NANOWEB Nickel (coated) Medium (11-49) on an electric guitar with a 26.5" scale, tuned to E standard (E4 B3 G3 D3 A2 E2), pulls 128.4 lb58.2 kg571 N in total and 21.4 lb9.71 kg95 N per string on average. That is a tight feel for an electric guitar. The set is even (spread 6.8%). String 2 (B3) deviates most: −10% from the set average.

Total tension
128.4 lb58.2 kg571 N
Average per string
21.4 lb9.71 kg95 N
Feel
tight
medium ≈ 17.1 lb7.76 kg76 N per string
Set your own preferred feel
Balance
even
spread 6.8%

Tension per string

01020lb025810kg0255075100Nmedium (10-46)set average1E4.01121.3 lb9.65 kg95 N2B3.01419.3 lb8.77 kg86 N3G3.01820.0 lb9.09 kg89 N4D3.02822.9 lb10.41 kg102 N5A2.03823.4 lb10.63 kg104 N6E2.04921.4 lb9.70 kg95 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 Tensionvs avg
1E4329.6 .011AR011plain 21.3 lb9.65 kg95 N−1%
2B3246.9 .014AR014plain 19.3 lb8.77 kg86 N−10%
3G3196.0 .018AR018plain 20.0 lb9.09 kg89 N−6%
4D3146.8 .028ENN028wound 22.9 lb10.41 kg102 N+7%
5A2110.0 .038ENN038wound 23.4 lb10.63 kg104 N+9%
6E282.4 .049ENN049wound 21.4 lb9.70 kg95 N−0%
Total128.4 lb58.2 kg571 N

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Similar sets in E standard, 26.5"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
D'Addario EXL115 11-14-18-28-38-4921.1 lb9.57 kg94 N 126.6 lb57.4 kg563 Ntighteven
12102 (this page) 11-14-18-28-38-4921.4 lb9.71 kg95 N 128.4 lb58.2 kg571 Ntighteven
Elixir 19102 11-14-18-28-38-4921.4 lb9.71 kg95 N 128.4 lb58.2 kg571 Ntighteven
Elixir 12100 11-14-18-28-38-4921.5 lb9.73 kg95 N 128.7 lb58.4 kg573 Ntighteven
D'Addario NYXL1052 10-13-17-30-42-5221.5 lb9.75 kg96 N 128.9 lb58.5 kg574 Ntightuneven
D'Addario EXL140 10-13-17-30-42-5221.5 lb9.77 kg96 N 129.3 lb58.6 kg575 Ntightuneven

Best match for a medium feel in E standard, 26.5"

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

  1. D'Addario EPS510 10-13-17-26-36-46 deviation 6.5%, average 17.8 lb8.07 kg79 N, even; same gauges: NYXL1046, XSE1046, EXL110
  2. D'Addario EXL110BT 10-13.5-17-25-34-46 deviation 6.5%, average 18.1 lb8.23 kg81 N, very even
  3. Elixir 12050 10-13-17-26-36-46 deviation 12.8%, average 18.5 lb8.40 kg82 N, moderately uneven; same gauges: 12052, 19052

More for the 12102

Other tunings on 26.5": Drop D, Eb standard, D standard, Drop C, C standard, Open G, Open D, DADGAD

E standard on other scales: 24.75", 25", 25.5", 27", 28", 25.5"–27" multiscale

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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