I have 3/10 awareness, found dumbbells twice, once since the new system, but other than those my finds have been poor other than maybe a crime enhancer or a FHC very very rarely. Also not found anything in weeks.
While I agree with Bogie about not blindly following a guide to the letter, there's -Knights- nerve bar guide on tcbasic.com. It may be outdated yet I've found it fairly helpful, adding extra experimentation and variety of course. Even if you insist on the rest of the guide being a pile of faeces, the tips on what crimes to avoid are useful at least