taut

Independent string tension calculator

Strings that feel right on your guitar.

Pick your guitar or bass and tuning, tell us how you like strings to feel, and we work out the tension on every string, then rank real sets against it. About us

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String finder

How should we recommend strings?

Recommend strings based on my preferencesChoose your instrument, scale and tuning and how you like strings to feel: we work out the ideal gauges and rank real sets against them.Recommend strings based on my current setupStart from the set you play now: see how it feels, then find sets that feel the same, more even, lighter or heavier.

What are the strings for?

I play and I’m looking for strings for

Acoustic and classical guitars aren’t supported yet.

Your preferences

Electric guitar, one tuning. Change

Units

The length of the strings that vibrate: measure from the nut to the 12th fret and double it. Most G-style guitars (LP-, SG- and 335-type) are 24.75″, most F-style guitars (S- and T-type) 25.5″. Multiscale (fanned-fret) guitars are longer on the bass side.

How tight the plain strings feel, compared with sets of 7s to 12s on a 25.5″ scale guitar in E standard. Looser strings are easier to bend and add vibrato to.

Slightly tighter wound strings, like nickel-plated 9–42 and 10–46 sets. Tighter wound strings stay more in tune when you pick or fret hard.

A thin coating keeps strings sounding new for longer.

Advanced options
  • nickel-plated steel: The standard electric guitar string: a steel wrap plated with nickel, bright and balanced, that suits almost any style.
  • stainless steel: Brighter and more cutting than nickel-plated steel and slow to corrode, but a little rougher under the fingers and harder on frets.
  • pure nickel: Warmer and softer, with the vintage tone of 1950s and 60s guitars; smooth to play and gentle on frets, with a little less output.
  • flatwound: Wrapped with a flat ribbon, so they feel smooth and hardly squeak; the tone is mellow and thumpy, as in jazz, and they feel stiffer than roundwound strings at the same tension.

A wound 3rd string, as in heavier and jazz sets. Some players find it stays in tune better; a plain one is easier to bend.

Your ideal set

StringNoteGaugeThick coreTension
1 E4 .010 plain – 16.2 lb
2 B3 .0133 plain – 16.2 lb
3 G3 .0168 plain – 16.2 lb
4 D3 .0266 wound .0254 19.1 lb
5 A2 .0364 wound .0355 19.5 lb
6 E2 .0467 wound .045 17.5 lb

Total tension: 105 lb

Thick-core strings have a heavier core wire, so a thinner gauge reaches the same tension. Shown where their makers publish data.

Closest sets

10 of 292 sets that match your choices, best match first.

  1. EXL110 Regular Light

    10–13–17–26w–36w–46w

    • nickel-plated steel
    • uncoated
    • rated 4.7 of 5 (3,277 ratings)
    • Calculated
    Great match±0.3 semitones on average
    • This set will have looser feeling B, D and low E strings than you requested (about ½ semitone each).

  2. Valuestrings EL 10-46

    10–13–17–26w–36w–46w

    • nickel-plated steel
    • uncoated
    • rated 4.1 of 5 (3,678 ratings)
    • Estimated
    Great match±0.3 semitones on average
    • This set will have looser feeling B, D and low E strings than you requested (about ½ semitone each).

  3. NYXL1046 Regular Light

    10–13–17–26w–36w–46w

    • nickel-plated steel
    • uncoated
    • rated 4.7 of 5 (653 ratings)
    • Calculated
    Great match±0.3 semitones on average
    • This set will have looser feeling B, D and low E strings than you requested (about ½ semitone each).

  4. Rotos R10

    10–13–17–26w–36w–46w

    • nickel-plated steel
    • uncoated
    • rated 4.6 of 5 (256 ratings)
    • Calculated
    Great match±0.3 semitones on average
    • This set will have tighter feeling high E and low E strings than you requested (about ½ semitone each).
    • This set will have a looser feeling B string than you requested (about ½ semitone).

  5. Brite Wire Reinforced Light

    10–13–17–26w–36w–46w

    • nickel-plated steel
    • uncoated
    • rated 4.8 of 5 (68 ratings)
    • Estimated
    Great match±0.3 semitones on average
    • This set will have looser feeling B, D and low E strings than you requested (about ½ semitone each).

  6. HQS EL 10-46

    10–13–17–26w–36w–46w

    • nickel-plated steel
    • uncoated
    • rated 4.3 of 5 (175 ratings)
    • Estimated
    Great match±0.3 semitones on average
    • This set will have looser feeling B, D and low E strings than you requested (about ½ semitone each).

  7. Signature Strings 010-046 RL

    10–13–17–26w–36w–46w

    • nickel-plated steel
    • uncoated
    • rated 4.8 of 5 (44 ratings)
    • Estimated
    Great match±0.3 semitones on average
    • This set will have looser feeling B, D and low E strings than you requested (about ½ semitone each).

  8. 250R NPS Ball End 10-46

    10–13–17–26w–36w–46w

    • nickel-plated steel
    • uncoated
    • rated 4.6 of 5 (616 ratings)
    • Estimated
    Great match±0.3 semitones on average
    • This set will have looser feeling B, D and low E strings than you requested (about ½ semitone each).

  9. Electric Strings 010-046 Light

    10–13–17–26w–36w–46w

    • nickel-plated steel
    • uncoated
    • rated 4.5 of 5 (44 ratings)
    • Estimated
    Great match±0.3 semitones on average
    • This set will have looser feeling B, D and low E strings than you requested (about ½ semitone each).

  10. ACC-3105 Classic Strings 010

    10–13–17–26w–36w–46w

    • nickel-plated steel
    • uncoated
    • rated 4.7 of 5 (31 ratings)
    • Estimated
    Great match±0.3 semitones on average
    • This set will have looser feeling B, D and low E strings than you requested (about ½ semitone each).

What do you play?

I play

Acoustic and classical guitars aren’t supported yet.

Your current setup

Electric guitar. Change

Units

Sets the usual scale length and number of strings; change them below if yours differs.

The length of the strings that vibrate: measure from the nut to the 12th fret and double it. Most G-style guitars (LP-, SG- and 335-type) are 24.75″, most F-style guitars (S- and T-type) 25.5″. Multiscale (fanned-fret) guitars are longer on the bass side.

Make and gauge of strings

Choose “unknown” if you don’t know the brand, then pick the gauges.

Recommend strings for with tension and balance.

· tension per string

Guitar
Tuning

102.4lb

Baseline: S-type in E standard

  1. E4.010p16.2lb
  2. B3.013p15.4lb
  3. G3.017p16.6lb
  4. D3.026w18.4lb
  5. A2.036w19.0lb
  6. E2.046w16.9lb

Hover or tap a string to pluck it. Looser strings swing wider; the dot marks each string’s pull.