D'Addario EXL115 (.011–.049): the Blues/Jazz Rock nickel-wound set

D'Addario EXL115 is the XL Nickel Wound electric set in Blues/Jazz Rock gauge, .011 to .049. It is a half step heavier across all six strings than the .010-.046 EXL110, the workhorse gauge in D'Addario's XL Nickel Wound line, D'Addario's own most-popular guitar string family. D'Addario's own catalog labels this set Medium, and the "Blues/Jazz Rock" name points at who reaches for it: players who want more volume and more resistance under a hard pick than a .010 set gives.

The XL Nickel material is nickel-plated steel wrap wire over a hexagonally-drawn high carbon steel core, drawn to spec in D'Addario's New York production facility. The third string is plain .018, not wound. That keeps the top end bright and bends easy while the heavier wound strings carry the extra punch.

A .010 set is the canonical rock default, but plenty of blues and jazz players find it thin. The EXL115 answers that. Per D'Addario's own product description, its 11-49 Medium gauge sets "provide increased volume, with slightly more tension and resistance." That extra resistance is exactly what a heavy picker or a fingerstyle blues player wants under the right hand: the string pushes back, the attack feels solid, and the note speaks with more body.

The plain .018 third matters here. Many jazz players who want the heaviest feel go all the way to a wound third (the EXL115W variant), but the standard EXL115 keeps the plain G. That is a deliberate middle ground: heavier than the .010 standard, but still easy to bend and bright on top. If you read that .017 plain third on the EXL110 and wished for a touch more grip, the .018 on the EXL115 is the next stop without committing to a wound G.

Heavier strings also mean a setup check is worth it. Stepping up from .010 to .011 raises total tension by a few pounds, so the neck relief and intonation can drift slightly. The nut almost always takes the .011 without filing, but budget a quick truss-rod and bridge check after the change.

• Blues and jazz rhythm and lead in E standard or Eb standard, where the heavier gauge gives volume and resistance
• Heavy pickers who find .010 sets thin or floppy under a hard right hand
• Players who want more grip than .010 but not a wound G: the plain .018 third is the middle ground

Worst for

• Beginners learning to bend: the heavier gauge is harder on uncalloused fingers; start on the lighter EXL110
• Drop C or below: step up to the .011-.052 EXL116 or .011-.056 EXL117 so the low strings stay tight
• Maximum tuning stability under aggressive bending: the NYXL1149 at the same gauge holds tune better

The EXL115 is the half-step-up from the workhorse standard. Same XL Nickel material, same New York manufacturing, same plain third, just heavier across the board for more volume and more resistance. It is the set blues and jazz players reach for when .010 feels thin but a wound G is more than they want. If you want the lighter standard, the EXL110 .010-.046 is one step down. If you want this exact gauge with greater tuning stability, the NYXL1149 is the flagship version.

D'Addario

EXL115 XL Nickel Wound (.011–.049)

.011 – .049

Price tier: $

View on AmazonFull review →