Absolute Beginner... Look for my first bass - please advise.

That's not really a question we can answer. Yes you can look up massive amounts of online reviews, but in the end of the day everyone's different and like different things. You just have to go to stores and try the basses to find which one suits you the best.

But the most 'safe' option would be a Precision or a Jazz of some sort. A Squier is everything a beginner could possibly need.

 

Maybe some kind of mat on the floor to cushion the thump from your bass drum pedal? Or talk to the neighbors and negotiate a time when you can practice? It would be a shame to give up on drums. Being able to play bass and drums would be an awesome combination of skills to have.

If you like the Tbird, I wouldn't let the neck dive stop me. Any well-made Jazz or Precision style bass would get you there too.

 

Take it slowly, read a lot on here.
We don't know your budget, so it's hard to recommend.
Do you want a beginner pack with amp?
Are you happy to drop coin on an instrument you might not get along with?

 

The OP didn't specify budget, so here I go with my "broken record" recommendations, can't help it, I think these basses are the bomb for the money: Ibanez Soundgear SR500 4 string or SR505 5 string.
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Ibanez-SR500-Soundgear-4-String-Bass-102550159-i1732457.gc

Second choice would be Squire Vintage Modified Jazz or Precision
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Squier-Vintage-Modified-Jazz-Bass-109437384-i3271165.gc

Third (maybe First, if you have the money) is a Fender Aerodyne Jazz or Precision
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Fender-Aerodyne-4-String-Jazz-Bass-102063146-i1147470.gc

For lower-priced instruments, I don't think you can beat the Squire line, it's stupid good for the money.

 

As for amps, check out the Fender Rumble series. My son has a Rumble 30 that is more than loud enough for high school jazz band performances in church-sized halls or auditoriums. They have a whole range of amps in progressively more power, but all are pretty light and straightforward for relatively short money.
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Fender-Rumble-Series-g27268t0.gc?esid=Fender Rumble 30

 

Yamaha
Ibanez
Squire

Try to play before you buy, really! At this point, it absolutely doesn't matter if you can play or not. It's about how the bass sits with you, how it feels, how it sounds to your ears. Ask yourself "is this the instrument I want to learn on?"

 

Try out a few basses...it's the best way to go.
I've had a few Thunderbirds...the neck dive issue is easily remedied. They look great and sound good too...especially with flatwound strings.
The Squier Vintage Modified and Classic Vibe Jazz basses are nice...priced right, too.
You might also want to check out the Sterling SUB 4...incredibly smooth neck and active electronics.
They're piced about the same as the Epiphone Thunderbird IV and the Squier VM Jazz but have more color options...seven or eight, if not more...black, trans black, white, walnut, etc.

 

I'm a Thunderbird, Squier and SUB 4 owner.
I'd definitely buy each one again.

 

Cort makes excellent quality basses for the cost. I have a B4 20th and love it but their less expensive models are also a great value.

 

If you live in the UK, Thomman seems to be a big supplier of music instruments in your neighborhood.

http://www.thomann.de/gb/

They seem to specialize in carrying Harley Benton instruments, which come in at a similar price-point as Squiers and the like. Do a search for the brand name here on the forum and see if you think it'll fit your bill.

Otherwise, I'm a personal fan of the Squier Classic Vibe Jazz. I've had two; one was quite good and the second was abso-flippin'-lutely awesome. It may be a bit more than the Vintage Modified line, but I feel they're worth it. It's solid enough an instrument that it's quite playable for beginner and veteran alike AND it's not so expensive that you're committing a huge amount of money on something you may not take to in the end.

 

Get something comfortable. Contoured body.

 

Hard to go wrong with almost any Yamaha product in my opinion. I believe the Squiers have come up a lot in quality over the years too, enough that they are no longer considered so bad as to be a "poor man's Fender." My first bass (1991) was a Yamaha BB model, it was nothing special, but good enough for a beginner, and undoubtedly the Yamahas you are looking at are head-and-shoulders above my old BB in terms of build, electronics, etc., because like most other companies, Yamaha has upped their game over the years even with their budget stuff.

But the smart thing to do would be as someone before me suggested: Go and try a bunch. Even as a complete noob, within the space of five or ten minutes you should be able to get an idea of whether or not the bass has a reasonably comfortable neck profile for you, whether you find it too heavy, too light, etc. Play it standing up (with a strap) and sitting down. I honestly wouldn't be overly concerned with electronics this early in the game...by all means, plug into an amp if they will let you, but as a beginner you likely won't have a good idea what to listen for anyways. Fiddle around with knobs and switches, maybe the sales staff can explain some functions, and basically just make sure things are working electronics-wise...but your main concern should be playability and comfort starting out. It could be a $5000 bass with the fanciest electronics in the world, but it'd be useless to you if, for example, the neck profile is such that your fretting hand starts to cramp (and worse, stays cramped) three minutes after you start playing it.

Ibanez's budget ATK models are a decent beginner bass too. I have never really played their Soundgear models (skinny little necks aren't my thing), but a lot of people swear by those as well. Hope this helps.

 

When making a similar leap (no guitar or string experience worth mentioning) two years back I went with used over new, preferring to not get over-invested until I can do something useful with it. Got an older RBX and have no complaints with its abilities. If you are going to pay the price to buy new, see if you can get the helpful assistant to bring you a series of basses (option a, option b, option c - not by name) while you are blindfolded (or closing your eyes, at least, if you can trust yourself not to peek) and try to judge them based on how they feel & sound more than how they look...not fighting the thing definitely helps. For instance, some folks find they want a really fat neck, others want a really thin neck, and both are right - what works for you is what's right for you.

If you walked into the guitar shop without doing something similar first, try someplace like Mark J Smith's http://www.talkingbass.net (he's on here @markjsmithbass - one of many options in that line, just one I've been visiting a little lately and liking) for a bit of video lesson basics so you have some concept of how (& why) they are normally (and abnormally) positioned/held/played when re-entering for test-drives. You don't have to be any good at playing it, but you'll have a better idea if the feel is good if you are at least trying to hold it as "normally instructed" since you won't have any personal style development there to go on (...or bad habits to break...)

Also - nylon tapewound strings. Best thing I ever did. I like the sound, I love the feel, and I'm not terribly upset with the idea that they might outlast me without needing to be changed. And they look nice, to boot.

 

buy a cheap used bass. You don't even know if you will enjoy playing bass so no need to spend too much straight up. Nobody is ever really happy with their first bass. You need to play for a while to discover what sounds,specs,features you do and don't like. Grab a used Squier Affinity for $100 - $150 ish and start playing.

 

The Ibanez GSR200 is not a bad bass. I have one sitting in a stand in my bedroom to tinker with and it won't break your wallet. I don't think it sounds bad.

 

When I first started playing bass I bought a Yamha RBX170 and put flat wounds on it and I loved it but ended up selling for another yamaha

 

Def check out Squier, the vintage modified series or Sire.

http://www.sire-guitarsmall.com/index.php/base-guitars/v7.html