Start out with a cheap starter pack and only upgrade into better gear when you're committed to it. Guitars cost lots of money, and it'll be a waste if you buy serious gear to only play on it for 5 minutes per week.
I agree with that assessment, to a point.
If you are truly committed to learning to play the bass, do your research.
Find out what basses are loved by players of all skill levels.
Go out and play some high-end instruments so you can get a feel for what they feel like, and sound like.
Then, figure out what you can afford, and buy the absolute best instrument in that price range. When you go to actually buy the instrument, take a player that you know and trust with you. He or she can try out the instrument, and give you a player's opinion on the axe you choose.
I'm here to tell you from personal experience, I was so determined to re-learn how to play guitar, that I picked the first pretty one that caught my eye. It was a $200 Gremlin acoustic.
Let me tell you it was aptly named.
It wouldn't stay in tune, It had a sky-high action. And it fostered some bad habits that I STILL struggle with 15 years after I traded it for the Alvarez 5013 guitar that I have now.
If I had done my research, I likely would have ended up with a Washburn D-10, or some variant of Alvarez acoustic in the same price range, but a lot better quality.
Nowdays, it's possible to get a good quality instrument fairly inexpensively. You just need to know what the best options are.
Good luck in your search.
