Hey, Zach, I'm 44, but I was only a year or two younger than you when I began playing electric bass. Stanley Clarke -and the sound of his awesome Alembic bass- was an inspiration to me, and I'll always remember the first time I went to Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center and actually managed to persuade them to let me pick up and play a stunning Birdseye Maple Series I bass.
I never forgot the sound, and knew I'd have to get an Alembic eventually... it took a long time.
Of course, the two grand you mentioned would only be able to get you a used model... but there are plenty of worthy specimans out there.
If you really love -or come to really love- music and bass-playing, you can save up. In the meantime, practice on whatever you have, and practice well. Learn as much as you can... your ability and understanding are the most important thing. Music is a language... work on your vocabulary and understanding. Work on listening and speaking. Work on understanding the things that you hear, and forming concepts.
With the modern world, and the internet and other resources, there has never been a better time for anyone/everyone who wants to learn to be the best they can be.
You're young... so use your youth. Practice dilligently... be ambitious... the sky's the limit.
When I got my first bass, I practiced as much as I could. I worked my way up to 6 hours a day. Within a year, I had people in my high school -who were held in high esteem by others- telling me I was the best in the school. This means nothing, of course, and meant nothing... other than, if you work hard and practice well, you can accomplish a lot.
So best wishes, work hard, study, learn, and enjoy playing.
My last piece of advice is to study as much as you can, as many different styles as you can. As human beings, we have a tendancy to seek what we're used to and avoid things we're not familier with... and it can limit us. Try and broaden your horizons and become familiar with a broad range of music and musical styles. Try to listen to everything, and branch out. Rock and blues are great for a foundation. Classical and Jazz are usually best for overall technique and musical vocabulary. But you can study Country, Reggae, Raga, and even Gospel -and learn something from everything. Get CDs from various styles and listen and play along with them. Get yourself a couple of instructional booklets and learn what you can from them. Most of them are junk or half-assed at best, so know this up front... but you can still learn from them.
The picture you have in your mind -the understanding- of music is like a jigsaw puzzle. Seek to always get more pieces and connect the pieces you have to one another.
Welcome to the club, Zach. Thanks for introducing yourself, and good luck with your musical journey. This club is a wonderful resource full of nice cool people who can help you with/on your journey.
Take care!
