Bob Moog Foundation Announces Fundraising Raffle For Geddy Lee Minimoog


Today, Bob Moog Foundation announces its fundraising raffle for a brand new Geddy Lee Minimoog Model D synthesizer.

The limited-edition synth, serial number GLMD-0233, was hand-built in Asheville, NC, and is one of 500 released by Moog Music on March 20, 2025. It comes with several exclusive items, including a certificate of authenticity signed by Geddy Lee.

Crafted in limited quantities, and destined to become a collector’s item, the Geddy Lee Minimoog Model D pays tribute to the Rush legend. The synth boasts an exclusive satin red finish as a nod to Rush’s Grace Under Pressure tour setup. Its custom VCA allows an extra sonic punch that elevates the classic Minimoog sound to new heights.

“It’s a thrill to see the Minimoog Model D in that stunning red, so representative of one of the most fertile periods in Rush’s creative history,” noted Geddy Lee. “I’ve always been mad for custom color instruments, and I’m thrilled with how it turned out. It’s just so beautiful.”

The Geddy Lee Minimoog Model D delivers the advanced features of Moog Music’s modern Model D:

  • Original discrete analog circuitry re-engineered and optimized for authentic vintage Moog sound
  • Modern upgrades like MIDI, a premium Fatar keybed with velocity and aftertouch, and a rock-solid power supply
  • 44-note Fatar keybed with spring-action pitch wheel and modulation for expressive performance
  • MIDI connectivity (In, Out, Thru) and full support for Note, Velocity, Pitch Bend, Aftertouch, and SysEx commands
  • Extensive control voltage options, including Loudness, Filter, Oscillator, Modulation inputs, and Aftertouch, Pitch, V-Trig, and Velocity outputs
  • Dedicated analog LFO with triangle/squarewave options for deep modulation

Included with the synth are:

  • Numbered Certificate of Authenticity personally hand-signed by Geddy Lee
  • Custom “Starman” badge on the front and matching sticker on the rear
  • Limited-edition 10-inch red translucent vinyl record featuring Rush’s “Xanadu” and “Jacob’s Ladder”
  • Exclusive Geddy Lee Minimoog Model D poster

Funds raised from the raffle will be used to expand the Bob Moog Foundation’s hallmark educational project, Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool, which has inspired over 35,000 elementary school students through the science of sound. The raffle also helps support the Moogseum, an immersive, experiential museum located in Asheville, NC, which brings the science of sound and synthesis alive for people of all ages, through Bob Moog’s pioneering legacy. The Moogseum opened in May 2019, and has since welcomed over 45,000 visitors from all over the world. It is still recovering from the long-term financial impact of Hurricane Helene.

Raffle tickets can be purchased at this link. Raffle tickets are $25 each, 5 for $100, 12 for $200, and 35 for $500. The raffle runs from now until 11:59 pm on May 19, 2025, Eastern (US) Standard Time. The raffle is open internationally. All proceeds benefit the projects of the Bob Moog Foundation.

 

Moog Minimoog Model D Is ‘The Archetype For A Reason’


Synthesist Jay Hosking shared this video, noting that the Moog Minimoog Model D is “the archetype for a reason”.

The Minimoog has been copied, cloned, knocked off and emulated for decades, and synthesists have more options for getting that sound that ever.

But Hosking argues that the Minimoog isn’t ‘magically better’, but it is a beautiful instrument, and there are real reasons why it’s still the archetype of a synth, even after 50 years.

Here’s what he shared about the video:

“This is an exploration of the Moog Minimoog Model D, no goals other than to have fun. The Walrus Slöer adds reverb and sounds beautiful. There was no additional processing to the sound. And what a beautiful sound it is.

The Minimoog Model D is one of the two main instruments that started my love of synths in the first place. I’ve long wanted one, and the reissue’s wood looked especially beautiful, but I had to wait until I saw it at the right price. That happened last week, and here we are.

Yes, I know there are clones, and I know those clones can sound very very good. I’m not telling you that this is somehow magically better; it probably isn’t. But I can tell you it feels like an instrument, it’s beautiful to the touch, it has a heft to it, and the wood makes it feel like an installation piece or furniture or something that occupies physical space in the environment. I feel like I’m sharing the room with it, a creative environment, and that’s a harder thing to quantify.

Some full songs will be coming with it at some point. How could they not? It’s just incredible.”

Geddy Lee & Moog Music Launch Red Limited Edition Geddy Lee Minimoog Model D Synthesizer


Geddy Lee teams up with Moog for limited edition satin red Minimoog Model D with ‘hot-rodded’ VCA circuit.

Moog Music has announced the releases of the Geddy Lee Minimoog Model D, a limited edition of the iconic analogue synth that pays tribute to the Rush frontman’s enduring influence on progressive rock.

The Geddy Lee Minimoog sports a custom satin red finish with metallic flecks that echoes the look of the keyboard rig used by Lee around the time of the 1984 album Grace Under Pressure, and the synth is adorned with a custom badge and sticker featuring Rush’s “Starman” logo.

The Geddy Lee Minimoog Model D arrives with a bundle of Rush merch, including an exclusive 10″ red vinyl featuring Xanadu and Jacob’s Ladder, a collectible poster, commemorative manual and gift box. Each instrument is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity hand-signed by Lee and individually numbered.

In a video shared to Reverb’s YouTube channel, Lee tells the story of Rush’s introduction to synthesizers in the mid-’70s, beginning with the Moog Taurus and then the Minimoog Model D. “It was the first time that a schlub like myself could dream big with an instrument that was easy to get around,” he says.

“You could get your head around it; you could learn about waveforms by just clicking the dial and blending them and playing with the modulation wheel. That’s the legacy of the Minimoog; not only does it sound fat and sophisticated but it’s not daunting to get your hands on.”

Lee goes on to discuss how the Minimoog was utilized on classic Rush tracks such as Tom Sawyer, Xanadu and Subdivisions: “For Tom Sawyer I played around with sawtooth and square waves, trying to blend the two of them so that I got a fatter sound from the square and a bit of rizz from the sawtooth”.


“The Minimoog Model D has shaped music history for over five decades, inspiring creativity across genres with its timeless instrument design and raw analog power,” said Erik Norlander, Director of Product Development at Moog Music. “The Geddy Lee Minimoog Model D combines the iconic sound and intuitive functionality of the original, with exclusive features that honor both its history and its future.”

The Geddy Lee Minimoog Model D is exclusively available, priced at $5,499. Find out more on Moog Music site.