Lowering shoulder straps

I'm waiting for the Osprey Kestrel 50 to come out in January. It has a wonderfully adjustable torso and great pockets. The Kestrel 48 is not big enough for my needs.

Until then I'm stuck with a Gregory Jade 50 that doesn't really fit me. The shoulder straps are about 2" too high. I couldn't fit into the next smaller size. I chose this pack after trying on every pack I could get my hands on.

How might I go about lowering the sewn-in straps? Has anyone ever done this?

OR: Would it be possible to place some additional padding under the shoulder straps to take up the space?

I had a similar problem, ultimately solved by getting a Granite Gear Nimbus Ozone, as the straps can be adjusted wider or narrower, and up and down the frame as needed. You can have the manufacturer swap belt/straps as you like as well.

Unfortunate, the "ultralight" versions of mainline packs seem to lack the features that make packs fit people.