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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 27" scale

NANOWEB Nickel (coated) Medium (11-49) on an electric guitar with a 27" scale, tuned to E standard (E4 B3 G3 D3 A2 E2), pulls 133.3 lb60.5 kg593 N in total and 22.2 lb10.08 kg99 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
133.3 lb60.5 kg593 N
Average per string
22.2 lb10.08 kg99 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 average1E4.01122.1 lb10.02 kg98 N2B3.01420.1 lb9.11 kg89 N3G3.01820.8 lb9.44 kg93 N4D3.02823.8 lb10.81 kg106 N5A2.03824.3 lb11.03 kg108 N6E2.04922.2 lb10.07 kg99 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 22.1 lb10.02 kg98 N−1%
2B3246.9 .014AR014plain 20.1 lb9.11 kg89 N−10%
3G3196.0 .018AR018plain 20.8 lb9.44 kg93 N−6%
4D3146.8 .028ENN028wound 23.8 lb10.81 kg106 N+7%
5A2110.0 .038ENN038wound 24.3 lb11.03 kg108 N+9%
6E282.4 .049ENN049wound 22.2 lb10.07 kg99 N−0%
Total133.3 lb60.5 kg593 N

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Similar sets in E standard, 27"

SetGaugesAvg per stringTotalFeelBalance
D'Addario NYXL1149 11-14-18-28-38-4921.8 lb9.91 kg97 N 131.1 lb59.4 kg583 Ntighteven
D'Addario EXL115 11-14-18-28-38-4921.9 lb9.93 kg97 N 131.4 lb59.6 kg585 Ntighteven
12102 (this page) 11-14-18-28-38-4922.2 lb10.08 kg99 N 133.3 lb60.5 kg593 Ntighteven
Elixir 19102 11-14-18-28-38-4922.2 lb10.08 kg99 N 133.3 lb60.5 kg593 Ntighteven
Elixir 12100 11-14-18-28-38-4922.3 lb10.10 kg99 N 133.7 lb60.6 kg595 Ntighteven
D'Addario NYXL1052 10-13-17-30-42-5222.3 lb10.12 kg99 N 133.9 lb60.7 kg595 Ntightuneven

Best match for a medium feel in E standard, 27"

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 9.6%, average 18.5 lb8.38 kg82 N, even; same gauges: NYXL1046, XSE1046, EXL110
  2. D'Addario EXL110BT 10-13.5-17-25-34-46 deviation 10.4%, average 18.8 lb8.54 kg84 N, very even
  3. Elixir 12002 9-11-16-24-32-42 deviation 12.8%, average 15.9 lb7.23 kg71 N, moderately uneven; same gauges: 12000, 19002

More for the 12102

Other tunings on 27": Drop D, Eb standard, D standard, Drop C, C standard, B standard, Open G, Open D, DADGAD

E standard on other scales: 24.75", 25", 25.5", 26.5", 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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