Most known brand names have basic cheap models for beginners. Don't mess with generic Chinese copies unless you can physically try them out and compare to more expensive models. I've seen copies that range anywhere from strings on a piece of wood to exceptionally good. But you can't check if you're buying online. So.. if you buy online, pay extra for a brand name to be sure of quality.

And also, read about different bass types before buying: http://www.tunemybass.com/bass_guita...questions.html

Top 5 Beginner Bass Guitars: http://guitar.about.com/od/bassguita...ss-guitars.htm