BassBeginnerGuy

Hey all, nice to be here, I know you probably get a ton of posts like these, but I'd appreciate your input on this matter as I'm quite the beginner and I don't know if my approach is right about this. About two years ago I bought my first bass, an Ibanez GSR200. I hadn't played a single note of bass prior to it and was just looking for the cheapest (relatively good) possible option to get into the instrument, assuming I'd upgrade later if needed. Fast forward two years and I feel that time has come. Thing is, I'm a student (=broke) and I still do not believe I must spend lots of $$$ to get a good-sounding instrument (for example the guitar I am using is a Squier Affinity Tele and am loving it). I must also say that I am kinda frustrated by my GSR200. I don't really like the way it plays, it's got an annoying fret buzz no amount of setup can get rid of, it's too fuzzy for my liking (maybe the active pickups) and by now I'm really looking for that clean, smooth, natural tone. I know Ibanez are more metal-oriented so maybe I should have seen that coming. Having said all that, having a positive experience with Squier, I am now considering getting a Squier PJ Bass instead (probably Affinity series but not necessarily), but I've seen people who claim that would barely be an upgrade over the GSR200, if at all. Do you think this sentiment is true in my case? Should I up the ante and look for, say, a nice Yamaha bass or even a Fender instead as a true improvement, even though they might be considerably pricier? Cheers and thanks in advance for your assistance!