Moog announces limited-edition Minimoog Model D in tribute to Bob Moog

Moog has revealed a new limited-edition version of the Minimoog Model D, created to honour the legacy of the company’s founder, Bob Moog. The release, titled the Bob Moog Tribute Edition Minimoog Model D, will be restricted to just 500 units worldwide, placing it firmly in collector territory while still offering a fully functional instrument for musicians and producers.

The new edition keeps the core identity of the Minimoog Model D intact. This is not a redesign or a modern reinterpretation of the synth. Instead, Moog has treated it as a commemorative version of an instrument that already carries enormous weight in music history. The familiar layout, signal path and hands-on controls remain central to the experience, while the limited-edition details give the synth a more ceremonial feel.

Each unit is built by hand at Moog’s workshop in North Carolina, continuing the company’s long-running emphasis on craftsmanship and analogue instrument design. Visually, the Tribute Edition stands apart through a custom quartersawn white oak cabinet, giving the instrument a warmer and more refined look than the standard finish. On the rear panel, Moog has added a dedicated Bob Moog Foundation decal, directly linking the release to the organisation that preserves and shares Bob Moog’s archive, educational work and wider legacy.

The package also includes a custom semi-rigid travel case, designed specifically for the Minimoog Model D. That detail matters: although this is clearly a collector’s item, Moog is still presenting it as an instrument meant to be played, transported and used, rather than locked away untouched.

The original Minimoog Model D first appeared in 1970 and quickly became one of the most important synthesisers ever made. At a time when many electronic instruments were large, complex and largely confined to studios or academic environments, the Minimoog Model D offered something more direct. It was portable, self-contained and approachable, with a layout that invited musicians to shape sound in real time.

That simplicity helped change the role of the synthesiser in popular music. The Minimoog Model D became known for its deep bass, cutting leads and expressive filter, finding its way into funk, progressive rock, disco, electronic music, pop, hip-hop and countless studio experiments. Its sound is not just associated with one era or genre; it became part of the wider language of modern music production.

The appeal of the Minimoog Model D has always come from more than nostalgia. Its design gives players immediate control over the sound.