Stingray: Pre-Flea bridge - set-up problem

[itchy]

I recently got hold of a 1987 Stingray, with the mutes/angled-string bridge.
I'm having a problem getting the action as low as I'd like it.

When set to their lowest, the tops of the saddle screws hit the "ceiling" of the hollow saddles, yet still leave some screw length sticking out the bottom of the saddles.

On this lowest setting, and a dead straight neck, the action is still nowhere near any fret buzz.
I'd like it to be another mm lower.

What are my options, other than a neck shim? I've never removed a neck (chicken)...and would like to avoid paying someone if possible.
Grind a mm off the bottom of the saddle screws?
Are there smaller (shorter) replacement saddles available...or ones where the screw can come out the top hole?

Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks.

[Greg Johnsen]

There are plenty of aftermarket bridges and saddles that would solve that problem, but I'm not sure if they'll be a direct fit to the stingray bridge since they dont really have a lot of direct replacements. grinding a mm off the bottoms of each screw would probably end up being more of a PITA than a help, but if you have the means the time thats probably your most cost affective method, but how do you plan on using the screws again after grinding off part of it?

Greg

[Musiclogic]

shim the neck, done.

[Caca de Kick]

This is why you would simply shim the neck. It's done every day to many wonderful basses.

What you're proposing (grinding) is far worse than anything else.

[stflbn]

Just shim the neck.

Take the strings off... remove the neck... put in a small piece of sandpaper in the bottom of the neck pocket so it's closest to the neck pickup and so the screws will go through the sandpaper when the neck is put back on.

.

[mongo2]

Shim the neck.

[itchy]

Well.....I sacked up and shimmed the neck myself.
I used 3/4" of business card, and it worked just right. Just enough, but not too much.
Thanks for the advice!

[BrandonBass]

Hey Topic starter, I face the same problem as u with my new ray. And I think it really sucks that the saddle screws cant go through the ceiling. As much as I hate to shim the neck, it seems to be the most efficient way.