Good choice…
Bank some hours on it and please update everyone with your thoughts and the how to with the settings.
I’m eyeing up the Ray34, I don’t need any convincing but like hearing peoples thoughts… 
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I have a Yamaha TRBX304 and have been very happy with it. Very comfortable for me to play. Couch guitar straps have a cool selection. If you are in an apartment, I would research a headphones solution (i use a scarlett 2i2 to practice with headphones) as your neighbors/roommates are going to grow tiresome of the sound fast. Have fun!
A lot of good advice here. If you are just kicking the tires on playing bass guitar, it makes sense to go with the budget models. However, if you are all in and committed to learning, step up and get the best instrument you can afford. Why? Because you’ll be fighting the cheap bass every time you use it. Quality matters.
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But times have changed as far as quality / price is concerned.
You can buy an inexpensive Sire bass that will be a real treat to play and last you well past the beginner stage.
Inexpensive doesn’t mean garbage anymore.
Less than $400 gets you in the game. They had one in store near me and it played great.
Or Yamaha who have good QC
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BB234YNS--yamaha-bb234-yellow-natural-satin
Now buy the same bass used but in good shape and even cheaper.
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Yeah. Either of those will be at or above MIM Fender quality in terms of materials, and with better pickups and Quality Control, at like half the price.
I get where you’re going here and it’s true there is absolutely a quality floor it is important to stay above. But there is actually a really big problem with this approach - basically, you’re locking yourself in to buying an expensive instrument before you even know enough to know what you really like or want. Buying a “forever bass” right off the bat is something I generally advise against, because most of us find our favorites end up being different than what we first thought they would be. Instead, just find a high quality but still entry level instrument for less, and sell it and upgrade later.
The bass you love the most is the one you’ll hold the most.
Every bass talked about in this thread would be a great first bass, getting what you like for your own reasons is a suggestion, make it personal.
Love your bass… 
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Yeah. You absolutely want to get a bass you will actually play. Looks and feel are key; you need to like the bass and want to pick it up.
This is so true!
Let me be clear, it has nothing to do with tone or sound, just how it feels. Sounds and tones are the cheapest aspect of your bass, looks and feels are the most expensive.
It doesn’t hurt to get a decent starter bass like a Squier Classic Vibe P Bass or Jazz bass, they are almost 100% quality build and produce pretty decent tone that usually fits your ears right out of the box. Since it’s more affordable you can use it as a test bed for maintenance learning.
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