The Hewitt family moved to New Zealand from Ireland in the late eighteen hundreds. At the time they were the only violin makers and repairers in New Zealand. In ©1900 they opened the first "Hewitt's Fiddle Shop" in Dunedin and flourished from that time onwards.

John Hewitt is the last of the Hewitt family practicing luthiery (violin making and repairs) although his youngest son Ricci has now started to learn the craft. His grandfather Robert and his father Jock originally trained John from a very early age. He successfully completed his first violin at the age of thirteen which he played in his school orchestra at Avondale College under the tuition of Mr. Cole. John continued to help in his father’s shop, developing a great deal of skill, repair technique, and understanding of violins, violas, cellos, double basses, and bows.

Later in life John was fortunate enough to attend the traditional school of luthiery in Mittenvald Germany, where he was able to learn many different techniques of not only violin repair, but near impossible bow repairs! John also trained at the largest workshop in Melbourne Australia, under five different Luthiers from Germany. Under the careful eye of such an experienced master repairer, any kind of instrument no matter how precious or old will be treated with the utmost care and caution. Instruments that seem to be irrecoverable become gems once more. If you need a repair, no matter how big or small, get Hewitt to do it!

Today, at Hewitt's Fiddle Shop, we now have six trained repairers working on the premises. Since we moved to our Dominion Rd. premises in Balmoral we have been visited by some of the top players in the world, from violinists to ukulele players. We have done extensive repair and restoration work on a large quantity of superb antique instruments. With over one-hundred years of experience, our promise is to continue to offer this professional service to you at the cheapest and most honest rates available in the country.

Here at Hewitt's Fiddle Shop you will also find the indisputably, largest and most extensive range of violins in New Zealand and the Southern Hemisphere. Our highly qualified and friendly people have the ability to provide the right violin to any person with any need. We can also value any instrument you may have, new or old, for insurance purposes.

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