Moog has announced the release of the Geddy Lee Minimoog Model D, a special 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.
There's more to Lee's Minimoog than the fresh paint job, though: its VCA circuit has been "hot-rodded" to produce a smoother, richer tone, and the instrument benefits from a number of modern features shared by the 2022 Model D reissue, such as MIDI integration, aftertouch and a dedicated LFO.
The Geddy Lee Minimoog 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 Geddy Lee Minimoog Model D is exclusively available at Reverb (US), Andertons (UK) and Thomann (EU) and is priced at $5,499.
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