| Laminate is good, in your case, and really in most cases unless you do most of your playing unamplified (ie orchestra). But especially for learning, laminates are the way to go because they're cheaper and don't get damaged as easily.
You shouldn't spend less than $1500 at an absolute minimum. I would start looking at the Upton Hawkes laminates, which start at $1900. Mine has a really excellent sound, the best sounding laminate I've ever played, easily. There are also plenty of other ply options that have good reputations, such as Christopher, Eberle, and Shen. There are a lot of people who will tell you to look for an old Kay or Englehardt, and that's fine too if you really can't afford a better bass. The thing with those old Kays is that the neck is super thin compared to the standard. Makes it difficult to get good left hand technique, and will also make your hand cramp up much quicker. But they're very serviceable first basses, and a lot of bluegrass players prefer them for their tone. | 
