![]()
Just because it’s always been done one way doesn’t mean that it can’t evolve, or be improved!
![]()
The beautiful tenor-sized DUKE10 Banjolele is a traditional instrument on steroids. Acoustically brighter and louder than others, super light at just 2lbs (1kg), a 10” drum and an electric pickup for plugging into an amp or PA system. Whether you play for fun or you are a professional, the DUKE10 Banjo Ukulele will change your life!
Who Is Jamie Houston?
![]()
It all started back in 2006 in Byron Bay, Australia, sitting around a BBQ at a mate’s place, when a guy pulled out a little coloured ukulele and started playing. Well, that got me asking questions about how to play and how hard it was, and so on. Sound familiar? I think many of us got our start on ukulele in a similar way.
Well, that humble beginning became what is now a driving passion to share the love of making music on the ukulele, or in this case, the Banjo Ukulele. I fell in love with the DUKE10 Banjo Uke last year, when I was sent version one to check out by its creator Ed Ackman, who lives right here in New Zealand! Check out the video I made reviewing it here. I loved it so much that when Ed told me he wanted to sell the business, I jumped at the chance to make DUKE BANJO UKULELE my own.
Initially a limited run of 300 DUKE 10’s was produced and sold, to critical acclaim, and created such a buzz that there is hardly a day that goes by without someone emailing me looking to get their hands on one. This campaign is a way for me to move forward with the production of a second iteration of the DUKE 10. By raising enough funds, I will be able to bring it into reality for those who back the project.
Here's a picture of Ed with the first batch in our production facility:
![]()
Now it’s time to move onto DUKE 10 version two, which will have a few minor tweaks, but in order to make it a reality, we need to get this Indiegogo project backed to help continue the pedigree.
What We Need & What You Get
$35,000 will get production underway, but if we don’t hit that figure we can still go to production, just with a smaller batch. The funds will pay for purchase of all the various high quality precision components from Canada, New Zealand, China, USA and Italy, as well as the actual manufacture of the DUKE10 through to final quality control stage. This is when I stand at the end of the production line with third party quality controllers to personally check, tune and play each and every instrument to make sure it meets our quality standards. Then they are all put into their gig bags and boxed up ready for shipping to their lucky new owners.
The DUKE10 started with ideas so simple we didn't know why anyone hadn’t thought of them before.
The DUKE10 is:
- super light to hold and play at just 2lbs - half the weight of the 4lb+ monsters
- acoustic and electric - great to use as a lead instrument as well as for strumming
- inexpensive to buy - amazing bang for your buck, without sacrificing quality
- extremely durable with the finest components and elegant construction
- accurate and perfectly adjusted, forever, so your music always sounds the way it should
- delivered "ready to play” right out of the box - just stand up the bridge and give it a quick tune
- no new chords to learn - tuned and played just like a ukulele with GCEA
- easy to play - with a tenor fingerboard giving wider fret spacing that makes shaping chords easy, even if you have big hands
Interestingly, the solution was to make an instrument that only has what's needed - no excessive hardware, heavy woods, pointless resonators or embellishments that don’t add value or tunefulness, they just add to the cost.
Of course, your judgement will certainly be based on the way the DUKE10 sounds, and you can check that out by watching a few of the videos sent to us by impressed reviewers below. You’ll hear for yourself the purpose of our project - to make great music! We know your DUKE10 will give you many years of playing pleasure.
Click on an image below to see and hear what these well known ukulele people have to say about the DUKE10.![]()
DUKE10 Specifications
- Instrument Weight - 2lbs (1kg) (excluding packaging)
- Total Length - 25.9” (64cm)
- Drum Size - 10” (25.4cm)
- Drum Construction - 5 Ply Birch
- Frets - 18 - Nickel Silver
- Fret Marker Pearloid Side Dots at frets 5,7,10 & 12
- Action at Fret 1 - 0.5mm to 0.75mm
- Action at Fret 12 - 2.2mm to 3.0mm
- Nut Width 1.3/8” (35mm) - Plastic
- Distance from Nut to 12th fret 8.464” (21.5cm)
- Tuners - 4:1 planetary gears - mother of pearl finsh + chrome plating
- Fretboard - American walnut with mother of pearl acrylic fret marker inlays
- Electrics - Schatten Design LP-15 transducer pickup with std 1/4” input jack
- Arm Rest - Chrome plated aluminium
- Neck - solid nato wood
- Strings - Genuine Aquila Supernylgut tenor ukulele strings GCEA tuning
- Drum head - high impact polyvinyl
- Tailpiece - precision “Smooth Edge” steel
![]()
It's Acoustic and Electric
Using the world’s finest pickup transducer from Schatten Design Acoustics, we have turned your DUKE10 into an ensemble machine, with a beautiful tone & more than capable of matching any bands’ volume.
![]()
Precision Geared Tuners
Fitted with 4:1 planetary geared tuning pegs. All the beauty of the originals with the benefits of modern engineering. They’re smooth to turn, quick to tune - yet they grip the strings like nothing else!
![]()
Comfortable Armrest
We couldn’t understand why this comfortable tradition had all but disappeared from banjoleles, so we decided to include our own really comfortable armrest.
![]()
Adjustable Drum
Tune it up & it’s country, tune it down & it’s funky. Puts you in charge of how you want your DUKE10 to sound, and yes, the adjusting key is included!
![]()
Unique 'Smooth-Edge' Tailpiece
The reason you’ve never seen this elegant tailpiece before
is because we invented it! Its smooth design gives you a tail that will never ever snap your strings.
![]()
Aligned Forever
No more fiddling with adjustments to get the strings to the right height, because the DUKE10's unique “one-piece” neck arrives in alignment and stays that way forever.
![]()
Extra Perks
We have some great little perks if you are not able to actually commit to getting a DUKE10, and every little bit will help, so grab yourself some stickers or an awesome T-shirt, or whatever takes your fancy.
Worldwide Impact
Playing, singing or listening to music is such a wonderful thing, and many of us, me included, use it as a way to relieve stress and to add real joy into our lives. The ukulele has become the instrument of choice for millions of us around the world, and it has to be the happiest instrument on the planet! I'm sure you will agree that it's almost impossible not to smile and laugh when you are playing.
So by creating the DUKE10, an instrument that takes the next step in the journey for many ukulele players by adding more volume and a brighter tone, we have a real stake in helping the world to become a better place. It is our vision that every ukulele player in the world will want to add a DUKE Banjo Uke to their (usually growing) collection of ukuleles.
The stories we hear and the messages we receive are filled with positive comments and many people talk about how their lives are being transformed by playing their DUKE. What more could we want?!
Risks & Challenges
The development of something as precise as a musical instrument must be slow and sure. Not only appearance, but functionality has to be perfect. Even with all parameters aligned, the manufacturing process has to be scrupulously monitored to ensure each instrument works as it should from the moment it is opened by the customer.
We hand-crafted the prototypes ourselves and then stood by the production line with third party quality controllers as the first batch of DUKE10's came off the line, to make sure each one produced met our high quality standards.
![]()
There were challenges and potential roadblocks along the way, but these were all addressed and overcome, and have contributed to a finely tuned process. This paves the way for an easier ride for the 2nd version of the DUKE10.
Other Ways You Can Help
If you just can't contribute, that doesn't mean you can't help. If you are happy to do so, you could share the news. Maybe consider:
- Sharing this campaign by using the Indiegogo share tools on the RH side of this page.
- Telling your ukulele playing friends and uke club-mates about the DUKE10.
- Get a bunch of people together to place a bulk order in order to receive the best pricing (as low as $299 each for 6!)
Please Note: Prices exclude all duty, VAT, sales tax and customs charges (if applicable).