I got back into playing because a school I worked in got two cheap Westfield P-Basses for the music department. They asked me to check them out. One was reasonably playable, the other was immense! Immediately my bassoon was tickled and I was back in the game!
Initially I bought an electric guitar but pretty soon had a purple squire P-bass bought off a colleague and away I went!
17 years later - Fender Precision MIM, Fender Cabronita Thinline and a Martin D10E.