(Pissed off that this is my 4th attempt at replying - as long replies seem to get dropped/lost whilst being written ... but going for one more try, backing up text as a Word document meanwhile ...)
I came to this thread looking for specific advice ... but interesting ideas raised ...
Seriously high-end kit might not be good to start learning on ... a world-competition-spec race car is not something to lean to drive in, any more than a factory-kitted race-bike is a something to learn to ride on ... positively NOT!
But crap kit is no way to start with either ... my first "beginners" acoustic 6-string was an Eastern European plywood box with a neck so thick and wide you could land aircraft on it, and an action so high it was probably akin to suspension bridge engineering ... I struggled and almost gave up as 3-finger open chords were a massive struggle and bar chords where impossible ... but wondered if a lesson or three might help ... a teacher showed and then lent me a reasonably decent guitar ... I ditched the box and spent a moderate amount on a decent Takamine ... and carried on playing!
An impulse buy of a £10 mandolin hanging in the window of a pawn shop (I was a New Model Army fan who'd just heard the Levellers!) raised my enthusiasm ... but I went and bought a hand-made instrument more than 10x what I'd paid for the first ... it was beautiful to look at, felt wonderful in my hands, sounded fantastic, and was encouragingly playable ... so I did play, and practice, a lot ... really stimulating!
In the DIY/hobbyist/craftsmen world, when buying tools, there's an axiom that says "buy cheap, buy twice". Cheap hand tools from DIY sheds are rubbish and don't work. Similarly cheap "Chaiwanese" power tools don't work well, and don't last. So you are back looking for more. Buy quality hand-tools and they'll last longer than your lifetime. Similar quality well-engineered power tools last a long time too. And they have re-sale value ... if they are too big/small/powerful/delicate/whatever ... you can sell/trade them for something more appropriate to your skills or demands. The cheap tools have no value now ... so you are buying twice ...
So - lots of good advice offered in this thread I'm sure ... but a lot focused on the idea that big-budget-beginner-kit is ridiculous ... there may be some sense in this ... "amazing-in-the-right-pair-of-skilled-hands-but-bloody-difficult-to-get-the-best-out-of" instruments are not for beginners ... but "looks-beautiful-feels-wonderful-sounds-brilliant-so-easy-to-play-I-don't-want-to-put-it-down-and-I'm-going-to-sleep-with-it" certainly is (OK, the latter point is pushing it a bit!) ... and a lot of "low-end", "beginners" instruments are OK for what they are, but don't sit in the second category.
"Good quality" kit, that has a decent re-sale option, might be a bit more expensive initially ... but much better value in the long-term?
Cheers
Toby
PS: The whole reason I looked at this thread was that I'm looking for a decent, but moderately priced 5-string ... I used to lust after Warwick through-neck natural bits of lovely wood ... skimming net pages things like the Ibanez BTB675, the Washburn T25 or the Peavey Grind Bass NTB 5 look as if they could be what I'm after ... but that's just pictures ... what's a sensible, well-made, playable instrument to consider (I have a Toby Pro currently, used to have a Yamaha TRX 4-string)?