Ummm, they shipped you the wrong cabinet. No not really. If the speakers are 12 inches wide and the holes are 12 inches wide, your speaker would fall in. So if you make the holes 10.5 inches wide, the speakers frame has something to be mounted upon. Now can you send me one of those things you're smoking?

Cigarettes suck
Mx. Remy Ann David

Thanks Remy. I thought of that, but then I thought that the extra material that is around the cone itself is for the mounting and not part of the actual speaker. It seems silly to measure a speaker including that extra nonsense around it that is not involved in the production of sound. Then again everything is about size and power anyway, just another advertising slogan.

Thanks.

And why the heck do they measure computer/TV screens diagonally? So if you have a 20 inch diagonal 4:3 monitor display and you purchase a 26 inch 16:9 display, it's still the same height. It's really not a bigger picture just wider. If you want a bigger picture you need to go up a lot further. I mean don't most guys want a bigger thingy or is that a longer thingy? I get confused?

No thingy
Mx. Remy Ann David

GF, you have fallen for marketing hype. Selecting mechanical details from a random 12" loudspeaker data sheet (Eminence Lab 12 series), the frame measures 12.32" dia and the recommended baffle hole is 10.98" dia. It's what happens in the industry. If, however, the loudspeaker frame diameter is only 10", then indeed you have in your hands a 4x10.

What about ditching your weedy 4x10 cab getting instead some of those computer games loudspeakers that are specified at "1200 Watt PMPO" and are powered from a 9V 500mA wall wart or couple of AA cells?

Maybe they miss-shipped your cabinet? ?? ? A 12" speaker will certainly measure 12"+ from one frame edge to the other. I would address this issue with the company you bought the cab from. Also, look at the mdel number on the cab. Something is sure to say xxx412xx or something along those lines.

I think I am feeling better about it. I think it was a misunderstanding. I didn't know that the speaker's frame was included in the measuring and that's what caught me off guard because I was only measuring the protruding part through the hole.

Boswell, it's a handmade Mesa Recto cab which I paid boutique prices for, so I seriously doubt that it's a 'lousy 4x10' Made me laugh though :D

Here are some pics compared next to my old (retired) cab.

http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/tt287/Guitarfreak5253/Mesa%20Boogie%20Rectifier%20Cab/IMG_4786.jpg

http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/tt287/Guitarfreak5253/Mesa%20Boogie%20Rectifier%20Cab/IMG_4785.jpg

http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/tt287/Guitarfreak5253/Mesa%20Boogie%20Rectifier%20Cab/IMG_4787.jpg

http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/tt287/Guitarfreak5253/Mesa%20Boogie%20Rectifier%20Cab/IMG_4789.jpg

DD, the box did say 412 on it. Speakers look alright to you?

Whenever you walk up to the front of a cab, measuring tape in hand, you are actually measuring JUST the hole cut out of the baffle to mount the speaker. The hole can't be as wide as the speaker is, otherwise the damned speakers wouldn't have enough baffleboard to hang onto, just like Remy stated. Is this "hype"? Don't know, it's always been the way that the manufacturers did this...
Mesa makes a pretty nice cabinet, I'd give them the benefit of the doubt on this one. Now, to quote a certain Frank Zappa, shut up and play yer guitar!
8-)

With that Mesa and Crate cab and all those speakers, looks like you need more amp.....!!!

moonbaby wrote: Now, to quote a certain Frank Zappa, shut up and play yer guitar!
8-)

I guess I deserved that 8)

djmukilteo wrote: With that Mesa and Crate cab and all those speakers, looks like you need more amp.....!!!

Yeah, this is correct as well. Next stop is a Mesa Dual Rec or Dual Rec Roadster, more research/experimentation needs to be done before I decide, but I've narrowed it down to these two. I actually got the Mesa as a replacement for the Crate cab, so it will no longer be used. I am either going to give it back to the guy who gave it to me or sell it.

The hole cutout size for a 12" guitar speaker is 11-1/16". The hole cutout size for a 10" guitar speaker is 9". The piston diameter of the speaker is measured across the center of the speaker from the inside edge of the surround material.