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The ship is on the verge of extinction! The sea is raging below, and the question is, will you make it back from the precipice? Then, your partner, Marshall, shows up! He puts himself in danger and puts his body on the line to rescue you. |
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| >> Latest Vintage Amplifier Arrivals |
This month, we have a new shipment of amps. Although not as much fuss is made about vintage as about guitars, amplifiers do exist, of course.
We have once again started to wonder what to do with the three most popular amps in the market, how to structure the issue, what to photograph, and what to say.
After much deliberation, we decided on the following
Fight! Go!"
was the one that was decided upon.
The message was not to portray strength, but to depict a "good friend" and a "trustworthy partner.
And the idea grew...
Someone is about to fall off a cliff.♪」
Hmmm...that's good.
So it's you, Amp, who's helping that buddy over the cliff.
Hmmm...that's good.
The conception is complete.
Then comes the usual conundrum.
Where would such a cliff be located...and who would fall off it...?
Oh come on, you can't fall off!
After much deliberation, Manager Tomita was chosen to play the role of the cliff faller. But we couldn't find a place to shoot.
He looked for a park nearby, but it just didn't seem right.
However, after receiving a nice suggestion from a fishing enthusiast, we finally found the right location.
In early April, when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom in Tokyo, the photographing team set out.
At 9:50 a.m., we loaded up our amps, clothes, and cameras, and departed from Shin-Okubo.
We took the Kan-etsu Expressway from Nerima to the expressway and drove toward Niigata.
On the way, we stopped for breakfast at the Miyoshi parking area.
As I wandered inside, I was surprised to find a Meissen cutlet sandwich! I found a Meissen cutlet sandwich!
I bought a pack of three without hesitation.
I went to the vending machine to get a drink, and was surprised to see a large sign that read, "The world's first! I went to the vending machine and saw a large sign that read "World's First!
What in the world was the world's first?
I went closer and took a closer look.
Dripping for you.♪」
・・・
We are enjoying a Meissen cutlet sandwich on a fine morning with the world's best coffee in hand...................
It was very pleasant.
Then we returned to the car and hurried on.
As I got off the highway and drove slowly along the single-lane road along the riverbank, I saw a large bridge.
Finding a small station on the road, I parked my car there and walked to the center of the bridge to check out the river.
The river is much wider than I thought it would be, here it is.
I thought back a little to the days when I used to play baseball on the banks of the Arakawa River.
Now, our destination is almost here. Let's hurry.
Fifteen minutes later, we arrive at Nagatoro Station.
I looked for a parking spot as close to the river as possible, since I was taking my extremely heavy boogie amp with me.
［I found a parking lot as close to the river as possible.]
That's cheap! In Tokyo, they charge 700 yen per hour.
I parked inside the premises and looked around to see no one.
I look over and see a yellow box on a pillar.
［"Fees box.]
I see that the parking here is left to the discretion of the person who parks. (There was also a warning sign in the back...)
When I took out a 500-yen coin and approached the box, a parking ticket was placed at the bottom.♪
So you leave this on the dashboard. I see.
We take out our luggage and walk along the rugged rocky pavement with our boogie amplifiers.
We aim for the river with people enjoying their lunch spread out beside us.
As soon as we arrived at the filming site, Manager Tomita changed his clothes.
He was getting a lot of heat from the people around him.
Strong body
Tomita exposes his strong body.
He was equipped with his own shirt and pants, a rock climbing harness, carabiners, protectors, cycling gloves, and finally a helmet, and he was ready to go.
He took the amp up to the cliff and positioned it so that it would not fall, adjusting its direction and angle.
Manager Tomita stood by at the bottom of the cliff.
Although there was a flat area beneath his feet, he could not avoid falling into the Arakawa River if he slipped.
The smile on his face was gone.
The climber, with a rope tied to an amplifier, desperately tried to clamber up. Such was the scene.
Amplifiers are friends, confidants, and partners, and the best results are achieved when they trust each other.
With this message in mind, the shutter was released.
A few minutes later, Manager Tomita came up with an idea.
How about putting a shield instead of a rope?
As expected, he was in charge of amplifiers? He has been in charge of amplifiers for over 20 years. He knows how amplifiers feel.
Apparently, this boogie is more than tied up.
he prefers to be plugged in.
than being tied up.
And when I was taking a picture with the version using the shield, I heard a vigorous call in the distance....
"Ah!"
The famous Rhine cruise boat had arrived!♪
The boatman looks on, stunned, and the passengers wave to him, wondering what he misunderstood.
A short rest...
And when the gallery was gone, we resumed shooting.
Manager Tomita's frantic pose was further motivated by a little happening....
The digital camera's memory was filled to the brim, and the shoot was over.
After changing our gear, we retrieved our "buddy's" amplifier with our tired bodies and returned to the parking lot where our car was waiting for us, staggering along the riverbank with poor footholds.
We left Nagatoro while enjoying the cherry blossoms.
Back at the restaurant, I check the photos.
"Oh, that looks good!
But it's not as powerful as it could be.
「・・・」
"I said that... I think you're right, but I didn't want to say anything about it, because I've worked so hard on it... What do you say?"
Tension ran through the group.
'It's an ad for Premium Selections...I still think you'll regret it if you do it halfway.'
Everyone's eyes lit up.
You're right, we shouldn't do things by halves."
We clenched our fists...
Our will was firm, and we began to reconsider.
Let's not cheat by showing pictures. If it is not really a precipice, it will not convey the tension!
The problem, however, was the location of the photo shoot.
The problem, however, is where to take the picture! It's in Izu!"
I might be able to find a place where we went on a company trip last spring.
We didn't have much time...so it was settled.
The busy film crew and manager Tomita checked the schedule and found that this Friday was the only day available!
We checked the weather conditions and Friday morning was our best chance, but it was raining in the afternoon.
The film crew would arrive in Izu the night before, and Manager Tomita would take the first Shinkansen train to Izu.
The film crew arrived at the site on Thursday night and headed for the oceanfront.
But this is the ocean...it was pitch dark.
Even their oversized flashlights were useless, illuminating only their feet.
We had no choice but to check early in the morning.
That night, we ate grilled meat at a certain place in Izu, which was unrealistically delicious.
Why not fish in Izu? Let me introduce the ingredients we ordered.
Tongue sashimi, mino sashimi, special shio-kalbi, and special harami (with sauce).
Mino sashimi!
I have been to yakiniku restaurants in various parts of Tokyo, but this is indeed the only place that serves mino sashimi!
And the ribs are thick, big, sweet and tender... Oh, I'm getting hungry, let's call it quits.
Well, what the heck, I enjoyed a fulfilling dinner.
Well, it was after midnight when we returned to the inn.
We drank beer we bought at a convenience store on the way back, and turned off the lights to prepare for tomorrow.
The alarm went off at 6:00 a.m. After showering and changing clothes, I poured peanut bread with coffee milk and left the lodge to look for a place to shoot.
It's a beautiful day outside, a cool ocean breeze slipping between my legs. As I walk along, I almost forget my duties.
Walking along the coastline, I found a beautiful location near the inn.♪
I started the car and looked for other places, but the first place was the best.
It was a bit risky, but we decided to stay here.
Meanwhile, it was time for Manager Tomita to arrive at the nearest station.
At 8:02 a.m., a local train arrived at Tomido Station.
And in the sparse crowd, we spotted Manager Tomita.
Thank you for your hard work early in the morning.
I heard that he woke up at 5:30 this morning.
As soon as I met up with the film crew, we headed to the site.
Manager Tomita puts on the equipment with a familiar hand.
After changing clothes and unloading the marshal's head and cabinet, we move slowly over the rocky terrain with a difference in elevation.
After the last trip, he brought a large amp with him to add to the intensity of the trip. He brought a large amp with him for added power.
It's heavy, it's big, it's huge... We never let out a whimper, and our hearts were always full of energy.
But reality is not so easy. Nature does not always work in our favor.
First of all, there is the problem of sunlight. Unfortunately, the position of the amp surface in relation to the sky and ocean in the background means that it is backlit.
Then there is the scaffolding. The amp is not stable due to the rocky terrain.
The biggest problem was the wind.
Strong winds from the south that day were stirring up the amplifier, which was set up in an unstable location.
The fact that all the speaker units inside the cabinet had been removed for transportation further contributed to the instability.
If the amplifier should topple over, it would be a big problem.
Depending on the direction of the fall, it could hit manager Tomita directly. Even if the amplifier were to fall off the cliff, it would be manageable, but if Manager Tomita were to fall...it would send a shiver down my spine.
When we chose the cliff, we also chose the danger.
We took out the secret weapon we had prepared at the same time as taking extra precautions.
A military life vest!
By pulling the string around his right chest, compressed air is injected into the vest, which functions as a floatation device.
It is just like the life vests on airplanes.
The source of the vest is a secret, but manager Tomita put it on in case he fell into the sea.
The shooting began in strong winds.
The shutter was released while checking the positions of the amps, people, camera, and sunlight.
The photographer took a shot, checked it, and repeated the process.
When the digital camera's memory was full, the wind picked up and we had to stop shooting.
We moved the amplifier to a safe zone and breathed a sigh of relief when we confirmed that Manager Tomita was safe.
I wonder if you can get some sense of the atmosphere of the photo shoot that the magazine photos alone do not.
Thus, the most dangerous location in the history of the Premium Selections photo shoot was completed.
We got into the car and headed home. On the way home, we stopped for lunch at a service area in Ebina.
I took a snapshot as promised. We spent a calm time chatting about the contents of today's shoot in front of soba noodles with sakura shrimps, gingerbread set menus, and pork cutlet set menus.
We arrived at the restaurant in Shin-Okubo at around 2:00 pm.
Thank you for your hard work.