Now this is really something you don't see everyday. Buckle up and whip out your reading glasses folks, this is gonna be a long one, but it's worth reading.
The almighty Minimoog. Undisputed King of the monophonic synths. And upon the first note you strike, the warmth of the analog oscillators leave no questions as to "why" it sits on the throne.
But there's a twist to this tale: you may notice that the badge on this sweet synth says "R.A. Moog". That's because this particular synth was one of a rare few Minimoogs that were produced back when the company simply bore Robert Moog's initials as a name, before changing their name to Moog Musonics, and later, Moog Music Inc. In fact, we have reason to believe this particular Minimoog was one of the first 59 ever produced.
Check out the gut shots we've provided for this badass piece of kit. Those circuit board traces are hand-drawn. Nothing mass-produced about it, just a couple of synthesizer nerds experimenting in a dingy workshop making history.
Now let's talk about that history a little bit: the Minimoog Model D was the world’s first portable synthesizer and served as the archetype for all electronic keyboards that followed. The all-analog instrument gained acclaim for combining the colossal sound of the 1960s Moog modular synthesizers with the accessibility of pre-wired modules—meaning that it could be played instantly and intuitively with no patch cables required. It was quickly embraced by a diverse roster of performers, with artists like Herbie Hancock, Kraftwerk, Rick Wakeman, Sun Ra, Piero Umiliani, Giorgio Moroder, Bernie Worrell, and Gary Numan all shaping unique sounds and forging new musical genres using the instrument.
Ok, we get it. "Cool history lesson, ya dorks." Now let's talk about what it do. The Model D boasts contouring circuits and three separate, completely original oscillators, one of which can be used as an LFO. Blendable White and Pink noise, and of course that legendary filter. But if you're looking at this listing you already know about these things.
If you check out the photos in this listing, you'll notice a few unique things about this synth. Let's address those.
First of all, you may notice that the serial number sticker is missing. Bummer, but fret not! "But Eastside, how do you know that this is one of the first 59, if there's no serial number?" I'm so glad you've asked. Scroll a little further through to the gut shots of those circuit boards, specifically the one of Oscillator Board 2. Notice the number 91-114 on there. Now reference the last photo in this listing, which is a scan of a circuit drawing from an old service manual for the Minimoog. The highlighted area mentions "drawing was used for all boards 91-114A serial no. 1001 thru 1059." The drawing is dated in March of 1971, only about a year after they began producing the Minimoog, which implies that the serial numbers had to have started at 1001. This particular unit has one of those first 91-114 boards in it, which places it in that very first batch.
Secondly, you'll notice one of the circuit boards looks newer than the others. That's the first oscillator board. These early R.A. Moog Minimoogs were notorious for having tuning stability issues, and starting around 1972, Moog started recommending that people upgrade the first oscillator board to their newest revision that remedied those tuning issues. And that "newer" first oscillator board in this particular synth is one of those very first upgraded revisions from the early 70's. So while that particular part of the instrument is not "original", it is still period correct, and objectively more usable.
Thirdly, you'll notice that this synth is not the usual natural woodgrain finish that we commonly associate with the Model D. That's because someone at some point in this synth's life made the decision - albeit questionable - to have it refinished in black. But honestly, while the natural woodgrain ones are classic, we think the black looks pretty dang good on this.
It's truly a pleasure for us to have such a cool, rare piece of music history here in the shop, and you bet we've put this synth through its paces, and it does not disappoint. We've had it fully serviced, cleaned, and recapped, so you can rest assured that it is perfectly functional and ready to rip those leads til the cows come home.
Feel free to give us a call here at the shop with any questions you may have about this synth!