Dan Dare

I wouldn't go that far. Whilst it's true that some bands do advertise, many do not and recruit through friends, contacts, etc. Chris's point about putting oneself about is very valid. It's especially true if one has lost touch with the scene (as the OP has) due to family/work commitments and so on. Where you live has a bearing on how easy/hard it is, too. I retired and moved out of London early last year. I was quite well connected in the Smoke and never found a problem getting gigs. I had periods of playing for a living and periods of combining playing with a day job over 40 or so years. Out here in the sticks, it's a very different story. It's taken me a year or so to find something decent and I had to answer quite a few ad's, go to auditions (many of which were as the OP describes), put myself about (go to jams, sessions and so on), etc because nobody knew me where I live now. I finally met a couple of guys who had been part of an established band which had split. They were looking to re-form with new personnel to replace those who had left. Once I was on board, we had to find a couple more members. We're up and running now, but it took time and effort. That's the point most are emphasising above. You'll be very fortunate to just be able to drop into something good in two or three tries. Persistence is the name of the game.

I like Chromes on my J and PJ, but use LBs on my P bass. The higher tension means you can run a slightly lower action, so playability compared to my other instruments isn't an issue. Not that I ever play anything fast/tricky on them...

Rather than hope to find a ready made band (where others have done the hard work in getting it off the ground), why not get together with a couple of like-minded souls and start your own? You'll be fortunate to find a situation you can simply slot into. Sure. it happens, but probably not most of the time.

And SOLD AS IS - NO RETURNS. Why am I not surprised?

Tbf, some of the stuff that has won the Turner is no better than his efforts.

Two. One tuned a semitone down. Our singer has a penchant for Eb and I want the root available.

Different tools for different jobs. I have both.

Me.

Good advice. Fingerboard gunk is dead skin, grease and associated detritus. Rubbing alcohol/surgical spirit is a mix of water and isopropyl alcohol and some contain oils, so best avoided on bare wood. Just use isopropyl. The alcohol will help dissolve the grease and will evaporate without leaving a deposit, which is why wet wipes and similar are best avoided. Many contain things like lanolin. The various gunks sold as fingerboard treatments are similar in that they contain oils, etc. Best is to get the board clean, dry and grease free and then rub on a little (only a few drops needed) lemon oil, which is non greasy. if the wood needs it. Buy lemon oil from health food shops. It's much cheaper than getting it from music shops.

He managed to Fender them off

I hope to find my sound one day. I just have to remember where I left it. It's great getting old.

When I use a pick, I like a medium - .73 to 1mm - one, too. I find playing with a heavy pick a bit like using a chisel. A slightly thinner one accentuates the twang/click (which is why I use a pick on a bass).

Not really. Look up "moonshine" or "poitin" on Wikipedia. They're examples of home-made alcoholic spirits. Most countries have their versions, usually distilled using local crops or produce. What is the Latvian version?

You can confide in us. We won't tell anyone.

So far, I haven't got any worse...

Yes. The FR800, a Big Baby with onboard power amp.

Make your own. If you're using Speakons (which you should be - Bigguy2017 is correct above), you don't even need to be able to solder. If you can strip insulation with a sharp blade and use a screwdriver, you're good to go and you'll save yourself some cash.

I feel the same when I go to the breakers yard to get bits for my car. A lot of perfectly decent old vehicles that have probably been scrapped for something quite trivial because parts aren't available or are stupidly expensive. It's just the way the world is.

Wouldn't be too surprising if they added their own pre' to the front of an ICEPower module. Virtually everyone else does.

Malcolm Hine in North London (Edmonton) is excellent.

Meths is crude alcohol. Is there a local rough alcohol/moonshine in your part of the world?

Yep. 5 screws, same hole spacing. I'd re-use the screws from your existing bridge. You can torque the head off the Gotoh supplied ones if you're a but too enthusiastic. Guess how I know...

And there I was thinking they were just comfortable shoes.

JMB and Bandmix are primarily for amateur and maybe semi-pro outfits and musicians. Nowt wrong with that, but you will find little if any "session work" via either. You can find things (I have) through them, but it is very unlikely to be on your first try. You just have to keep looking and following up on anything that sounds promising. Be prepared to kiss a lot of frogs before you meet a handsome prince.