Sadly it seems harder to just wander into a store and play a true variety of basses these days (jeez I'm old😉 ). It was wonderful to just head into Boston and easily play a Pedulla, Fender, Yamaha, Gibson, Rickenbacher, Peavey, Ken Smith, and so on in 4, 5 and 6 string and fretted and fretless varieties ...
That said, any chance you get for hands-on time ... take it!