Good cheapo basses? brands?

So right now I'm deep in the market for a real bass. It's doesn't have to be anything special (I'm a noob), and really I'm hoping I can get away with spending ~$100. I've seen a Greg Bennett Corsair on craigslist recently at that price, and I actually own one GB guitar so it's a deal I wouldn't have minded (had it not been taken down pretty much the next day).
 
What brands are reputable in this case? What should I stay away from?

I have been very impressed with Fender's Squier, Vintage Modified series of guitars and basses.  Watch for one that is used if this is still over your budget.

Price isn't the only factor. Cheap can also be great.
 
I had a very nice 1973 P-Bass that everyone loved except me. It looked great and was worth a few bucks, but it didn't sound good. I bought a piece of junk Korean bass for $50 and replaced the pickup for $90. It's still my bass of choice. It sounds and feels great, with a super resonant body. No regrets in dumping the Fender. 

I like the 3/4 size Ibanez.  It's more $ but sounds great:
 
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/GSRM20BS
 

Friend of mine recently picked up one of the less cheap Squier Jazz Basses as a backup because his old US Fender needed a partial refret, fingerboard work and full fret-dress and he needed something to play while the work was done.

Friend actually prefers the Squier, and it has to be said it sounds pretty good.

Bear in mind that the guitar market is very competitive, and corners get cut to keep prices down at the lower priced end of the market. There's usually a much bigger difference between a $200 and $400 instrument than between a $750 and $1500. Which is not to say that good cheap guitars don't exist. They do and if you're lucky you find one. It's just that spending a bit more makes it less likely you'll find a rubbish one.

As for warped necks, they are the exact opposite of fun and can be difficult and expensive to fix (if possible, often a new neck is needed). Same with bad fret jobs, where you get some frets much higher than others, truss rods that don't work, bridges fitted in the wrong place etc.

Your friend probably picked up one of the Vintage Modified Squiers, they are pretty well built. Change out pickups and hardware upgrades later if you feel it is needed, but to my ears,they sounded and played very nicely.

Jazz Bass would give you a little bit of that growl when you dig in.

Samick , When I had the music store they were my # 1 cheapo guitars and basses. Back in the 90's they were still made in Korea. But they blew away all other low end brands. The finishes and necks were first class.  I sold ton of them and everyone was happy. Plain ( Black/Red or White)  finishes sold for $199 back then. 
 
 Of course you must realize that no matter which brand, including low end Fenders, the Pick ups will be sub standard. But that is super easy to upgrade if it is a standard Fender type PU. Weird PU are sometimes hard to find upgrades for. But thankfully most el cheapo brands use Fender type PU's. The common configuration is the P/ Jazz combo. P Bass PU are split so there is 2 offset, Jazz PU are narrow and one piece. My Hondo has a standard P bass so I bought a Dmarzio for $70 that made a huge difference. 
 
Bass guitars puts a lot of tension on a neck, that is why I said to be careful about twisted or warped necks. Pick it up and look from the bridge along the strings towards the nut. It should be nice and level with no side to side variation. And look for frets that are all level and not looking like ties on  an abandoned railway line. 
 
There should be no string buzzes and it should be easy to play. You don't want too low an action on a bass but it should not buzz if played a little aggressively. 
 
I don't recommend buying a short scale bass , sometimes called 3/4,  unless you want a dull thud kinda sound. Short scale basses do not have the same tension on the strings so have very little twang. They are the opposite of the sound of a Jazz bass or Ricky.  I used to own a Gibson EB0 which was short scale. I used it for Bluegrass. 
 
Another thing to think about- The biggest problem with shopping used is people who play and are knowledgeable about this stuff, only sell instruments they don't like. So look for used among people who don't have a clue and bought it but never learned to play. Pawn shops always charge double the going price.  
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEgfAdzduJg
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMHObpD6w8U
 

davdud101
Kev, I'll make sure to look at Ibanez. Any particular ones you recommend?...

Not sure. The ones that I have tried didn't have any model number evident and don't seem to be in the current catalogue.

I've had a few cheap basses over the years.  I had a Washburn from a pawn shop that had a great neck and just needed the pickups upgraded.  I had a Hondo that I used for years and it was dirt cheap and durable.  One of the basses I have now is an LTD and it was fairly cheap, but it plays and sounds pretty good considering what it cost.

For my uses, I've never planed to be a GREAT guitar/bassist, so the extent of my bass-playing will probably be in small church jazz combos (NOT gospel, I just wanted slap for my home studio projects). I actually got to play an Ibanez Mikro recently, I like how it feels- it's not too huge, it can get some nice gnarly sounds... I'll keep looking around!

You have a synth. No, it is not a bass, but you do not have to buy strings for it or anything else. If it has bass synth patches for sound, then it will still be enough to do the job for maybe a few years yet.
??
 

Well, that is up to you, and aching fingers playing those big thick strings.

 Well  I had a Gibson SG 5 string bass at one time, only would consider a Fender Jazz type bass or Gibson EBO type bass (Epiphone) whatever make whatever is made.