Ron Wood’s Ampeg V-4 and the Gritty Slide on ‘Miss You’

The amp in question is a mid-’70s Ampeg V-4 head, often paired with a 4x12 cabinet. Ron Wood favored it during the Some Girls sessions because its 100-watt, 6L6-powered output stage could be pushed into natural power-tube distortion before the preamp got too saturated—perfect for slide guitar where you want bite without mush.

On “Miss You,” Wood’s slide parts (played on a Gibson Les Paul or Firebird) lean into that V-4 breakup. The power tubes start to clip at relatively moderate volumes, adding a thick, spongy compression that lets each note sustain while still retaining an aggressive, almost snarling edge. That grittiness cuts through the disco groove without overpowering the rhythm section.

Unlike a Marshall