Hopefully this doesn’t take anywhere near as long as it’s taking to find a girlfriend LMAO
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In my experience, basses are slightly less choosy than potential girlfriends 
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Go with the one you think looks coolest.
That has always worked for me when it came down to the bitter details.
As long as you like 'em both, just go with the one you like even when you’re not playing it.
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Strings can be changed, action can be adjusted. Neck feels chonky is what it is.
Seriously, try a Squier P. I don’t like the Fender intermediate necks.
If one really calls to you, get that
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If you can, see if you can try the 4-string version also. It has a different string spacing than the 5-string, 19 mm vs 16.5 mm.
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It’s something very personal but I went through several different basses, active, passive, jazz basses, p-basses and active double humbucker but the one I have really bonded with is my Fender Mustang PJ. I’m about to sell my other two basses.
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Very similar to the one I tried at the store!
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I’d go with a Sire over a Squier, but that’s just me. I’m not a Fender fan.
You talking basses or dates, Gio? 
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I would too, I just don’t think he will see one in a showroom. They’re pretty rare these days
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True.
This, and what feels, looks and sounds good to you.
If it does not fit all 3 of those, it could cost a billion dollars and be made of solid gold with diamond hardware, and it won’t be worth a crap if you don’t like it enough to pick it up and play it.
Sound is the least important of the three, cuz you can shape sound in many ways, but it is nice if you have a bass you just like the straight in, no fx, sound of.
Look is very important, as you will grow tired of something you don’t think is bad ass.
You can spice things up with hardware upgrades and color changes, or a new pick guard, but get something you find super sexy.
Feel is number one, find what feels right.
Buy ont that looks and feels great and you bought the best bass.
Feel obviously means it has great playability, a long with being a suitable weight for your comfort, and well balanced, although, you can counter unbalance, so you don’t have to be a stickler on that point either.
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Never judge a bass in a store by its strings. You will most likely be replacing them ASAP anyway.
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There are tons of great P basses with jazz necks (thinner). Trad P bass necks are chunky monkeys.
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As others have said, you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find your princess charming. Don’t discount an entire type of bass with one variety.
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My MIJ Modern C is the nicest feeling neck I have found yet. Well, for me anyway.
Agree completely.
Feel > Looks >> Tone. Off-the-shelf tone is very, very overrated. You’ll be very surprised how much you can modify the tone - EQ, effects, technique, other options - but you’ll have a much harder time to make it feel or look better.
Feel, then looks. You’ll want a bass that calls you to pick it up.
For me, Ibanez SR’s definitely tick two of those boxes - the look and feel fantastic - and depending on model, can sound great too. The SR500E is a solid instrument. That’s about as low in the SR line as I would go though.
They just get more awesome from there. I really love the SR Premiums.
So, it sounds like you found a winner
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If he would go to Ikebe, I’ve got some serious recommendations…
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Curious what you mean by an intermediate neck.
The cheapest in the range are The Player and the Player Plus Mexican necks for P and J basses have a ‘Modern C’ profile. The Mustang MIM has ‘C’ profile.
The Vintera range has either a Vintage C or 60’s C. The vintage C feels considerably chunkier than the modern C to me.
Steve Harris is a U shape
Nate Mendel is Slim C
New Aerodyne is Modern C
Duff McKagan is modern C
Flea is C
Step up in price to the next bracket to $1500 and you have the American Performer range. Both P and J basses and both have a ‘modern C’ and the Mustang has the ‘C’
If you jump up again to the $1800 mark and the American Professional II range you finally get a change in profile to Slim C or 63 C.
So unless you choose the Steve Harris Bass or something from their Vintera range most of their basses are some form of C shape and mostly modern C.
Both my P and J necks don’t feel significantly bigger than a Strat neck.
I have no idea how a Squier neck compares.
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As far as the strings are concerned I have always replaced the ones that came with any stringed instruments I have purchased, within a few days. The only exception may be an upright bass because their strings are usually very expensive. YMMV 
Your statement regarding neck shape and feel is a sure sign that that is not the Bass for you.
Choosing a bass is such a personal preference and as others have said what works for others may not be your cup of tea. However, I will say that if you purchase based solely on price you may be setting yourself up for a big disappointment
Put it this way, if you walk into a music store and there are 4 basses sitting in front of you, does one draw your attention more than the others. If so, that is the one to check into further but the final decision is yours and yours alone to make.
Good luck and enjoy the music journey. 
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I may have worded it wrong. The player and player plus are intermediate basses, and I do not like their necks. There are a lot of necks more comfortable to play, Squier CV 60s and CV 70s for example.
For the price of a Player, I would give serious consideration to a Fender MIJ Hama Okamoto signature bass which has a Jazz neck. But that’s an online sale.
Right, so those necks on the CV feel thinner?