Here's what you can expect with every DUKE10-V3
- If you can play a ukulele, you can play a banjolele - same tuning, same chord shapes.
- A large 10" head for that unmistakable old-time sound.
- Nice low strings for ease of playing.
- Carefully adjusted intonation, giving you an instrument that plays in tune with itself, right up the fretboard!
- Supplied in a stunning vintage-style tweed hard case for maximum style and protection.
- Aquila strings, maple & ebony bridge, and bone nut for the perfect sound combination.
And even more...
- Sleek armrest for maximum comfort - also keeps your arm from muting the drum head.
- Lightweight on the strap, lightweight in your lap. Just 2.4 lbs (1.1 kgs).
- A 'gig-ready' instrument with a rich and powerful twin passive transducer pickup system.
- Full Setup, Final Quality Check and All Shipping out of North America.
- Friendly and helpful personal customer care from owner Jamie Houston. If something's not right, he will put it right!
Some 'sound' advice 😉
"If you want to expand your repertoire, break out of a rut, make your folk, country and bluegrass music sound more authentic without having to learn a whole new instrument, there is no better choice than a DUKE Banjo Ukulele.
Seriously, if you own more than two ukuleles and one of them isn't a banjo uke, you are really missing out!"
- Kelly
A Warm Welcome from Jamie Houston - Owner
the duke10 banjolele - improved, evolved, unique & loved!
The DUKE10 is so light you will be amazed!
The first thing you will notice when you pick up your new DUKE10 banjolele is that it is SUPER LIGHT!
It weighs a mere 2.4 lbs (1.1 kgs). That's nothing like some of the 4 lb monsters out there!
The DUKE10-V3 Banjo Ukulele - light as a feather. Well, almost!
Comfy armrest, so no more sore arms!
On most banjoleles you have the metal tension hooks digging into your arm, so we decided that every DUKE10 would come complete with a well-placed and very comfortable armrest. It also serves the purpose of keeping your arm off the drum head, avoiding unnecessary muting of the sound.
Our armrest gives you comfort and ease without any additional cost.
Smooth-edge tailpiece, so no more string breaks
Most other banjo ukuleles tie-off the strings under a metal tailpiece, which can have sharp edges, meaning it is common for the strings to break.
To fix this problem, we designed a simple 'smooth-edge' tailpiece that the strings effortlessly pass over and then through the drum to tie-off inside the rim (with little plastic beads to keep them tidy). Now your strings will never break at the tail!
Change Your Tone with the Adjustable Drum Head
Use the (included) tension key to tighten or loosen the drum head.
Tightening it to be hard to the touch will give you a very bright sound. You will get good note distinction, but less bass response.
Loosening it to be softer to the touch results in a warmer, less bright sound.
This puts you in charge of how you want your DUKE10 to sound.
Make Tuning A Breeze
They may look like traditional friction pegs, but they are actually planetary geared tuners (with a 4:1 ratio).
Why should you care? Because they make tuning a whole lot easier. They are very smooth to turn and hold the strings in tune very well.
Happy DUKE10 owners love these tuners and many comments are made about how awesome they look too!
Nice Low Strings, Forever!
Over time, the distance of the strings from the fingerboard of a banjo ukulele can increase, often due to movement of the neck. This makes it harder to press your fingers down when playing chords.
To remove this issue once and for all the DUKE10 has a one-piece neck - a rigid spine of sorts. So when you get your new banjo uke, the strings will be at the right height with everything in alignment. The best part is that it stays that way forever!
Dual Passive Transducer Pickup in every DUKE10!
Yes we know, banjo ukuleles are already loud so why would we put a pickup system in every DUKE10?
Well let's just say that it comes in very useful on more occasions than you would think. Going big or staying small, plugging in sounds great!
The 'Season 3' DUKE10 has a Dual Passive Transducer Pickup System, giving a very natural sound through an amp or PA system.
Unique and Quirky, Just To Be Different
Sometimes you find an instrument that just speaks to you, and we have designed the DUKE10 to get noticed.
From its minimalist design to its unique and quirky headstock, this banjolele attracts a lot of attention.
The design is sure to make you stand out in a crowd.
So many DUKE10 owners comment that they love everything about their new banjolele 'baby'.
Every DUKE10 Ships in this Awesome Hard Case!
One of the major upgrades to the DUKE10 package is the addition of this awesome new wooden carry case.
Every 'Season 3' DUKE10 Banjolele will ship in this stunning vintage-style tweed hard case, designed to give you solid protection so your precious DUKE10 stays safe.
This is a BIG DEAL and we hope you love it as much as we do!
*The hard case replaces the gig bag from previous models.
The 'Story' from Duke Owner, Jamie Houston
It all started back in 2006, when I used to live 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 know many of us got our start on ukulele in a similar way.
That humble beginning became a driving passion for me 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 in 2017, when I received 'Version 1' to check out by its creator Ed Ackman. A coincidence that he is also a 'kiwi' and lives right here in New Zealand!
I loved it so much that I jumped at the chance to make Duke Banjo Ukuleles my own and purchased it in August 2018.
