Dang, this looks nice. I think the IVs look cool anyway, but this is the first V I've seen.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GIBSON-5-STRING-BASS-1987-V-Rare-vintage-guitar-/330779575681?pt=Guitar&hash=item4d03ffc581#ht_500wt_1325
On the couple I've seen with the natural finish (one IV and one V) they used a pore filler that showed up whitish underneath the clear. In some of the pics, it looks like this one is the same way.
Unless these have gone way up recently, he probably won't get his asking price.
I think last year a natural IV sold on eBay for $399. I should have bought that one.
Were the Vs active while the IVs passive?
I had an old Red V back in the late 1990's. It was passive. A really nice bass but back then I wasn't playing 5'ers so I sold it. I did not like the lack of body contours either. I bought it at a local pawn shop for $180.
The only V I saw was passive.
Passive, same electronics as the TBirds that were reissued a little later.
Yup, the pore filler shows on my natural V too, but still a fine sounding bass and good 5-string, especially for the time.