Strings wearing grooves in Edge/LoPro saddles

[CrossingStar]

I am having this problem with some of my well played RG's and the saddles on the LoPro Edge. G string is the main one but also the B string. What would happen is I would dump the tremolo and on the way back up there would be this snap or click and the G string would sound on it's own. I couldn't figure out what was doing it until finally I saw that when the G string went slack enough it would lift up & away slightly from the saddle, then when returning to pitch it would fall into this groove in the saddle with a "click", and sound.

So how common is this, and what cures are there? I sanded the groove a little and it helped on a B string saddle but not on the G. I guess buying a new saddle would be the last resort.

[waylay00]

http://www.ibanezrules.com/parts.htm

Rich has replacement saddles in stock.

[frankfalbo]

There are several solutions besides saddle replacement. If you do a search, I think years back we all had some discussions on how to file and buff the saddle grooves. The nice thing is that usually it's a compression of the metal, not a simple wearing away. So if you file the slot smooth again, it's less likely to compress more in that same area.

If you're not experienced in metalworking, then buy new saddles instead. Or you could swap certain saddles for other saddles. For example swap the bottom three for the top three, maintaining the same order. Or if the G and B are the only problems, try swapping it with the A and D respectively.

[mystery]

A few ideas:
First of all, look at Rich Harris' excellent site with lots of good setup tips:
http://www.ibanezrules.com/tech/setup/index.htm

The locking nut (TopLok) should be tight in 2 ways: the 3 screws on top that clamp the strings and the 2 Allen screws that hold the TopLok tight on the neck. The string clamps (pressure pads) should be snug enough, but not terribly tight. Don't wanna strip 'em.
The 2 Allen screws should be tight enough, but not enough to crack the wood. "Tight enough" is a feel thing. You'll know when they're tight enough.

Loosen the 3 pressure pad screws so that they're not clamping the strings at all. Ya don't havta remove them for this. Loosen the 2 Allen screws just a little bit. Put some pressure with fingers on the TopLok and press toward the bridge. Make sure the TopLok is snug against the neck and aligned/centered on the neck. Tighten the 2 Allens as you're applying pressure against the TopLok. This will make sure that the TopLok is in the right position and tight. If they're a little loose, the TopLok can wiggle around a bit and it'll affect tuning. (Thanks to Rich Harris for that tip!)

I always make sure that the strings are in the bridge saddles in a straight line from the saddle grooves. If they're a little off-center and there happens to be any kind of burr in the saddle groove (even on the sides of the groove), that could make the third string jump a bit when you return the vibrato to neutral.

It's possible that there are flat spots or other anomalies in the bridge studs or the knife edges of the vibrato. Unfortunately, the best way to verify this is to take the vibrato off and inspect (a hassle).

It's natural that some of the strings will lift away from the saddle even a little when diving or pulling up.

Make sure that the bridge stud set screw is "tight enough". Whenever you adjust the height, loosen the set screw before you turn the bridge studs. Do the raising (shudder) or lowering (now you're talking!), and tighten the set screws again when done.

Make sure that the "saddle intonation screws" are tight enough and aren't moving around.

Some of these things are kinda unlikely but I thought I'd throw them in for good measure. There are a lot of things, some big and some small, that go into a good setup. Just about everything can be done by the user if we understand how this stuff works and inter-relates.
(You didn't ask for a book, did you?) No, I'm not a guru-I'm just an average user who's had/has 8 vibrato-equipped git-fiddles.
HTH
David