I went to Ace's tonight for my birthday with some friends to get a small
cross tattoo on my foot. First, they did not even I,D. me. As of yesterday it would have been illegal. The tattoo artist was completely rude from the start, making me and my completely respectful  friends feel completely unwelcome with the harsh tone and numerous eye rolls. Once I was on the table, he kept jerking my foot around, being completely rude about the spot where I wanted the tattoo. His artwork was crappy and not at all what I wanted. And after about ten minutes of his bullshit, I politely asked what time the store hours were tomorrow, sine I clearly didn't want an unprofessional and  rushed job on a piece of work that would be on my body forever. In a rude tone, he says "You're seriously not going to do this right now?" with a dramatic sigh. I got up and stormed out of the store with my friends, who were considering coming back tomorrow for tattoos of their own. The price of $100 for a two inch tattoo was a little much as well. Complete lack of social skills and manners, don't waste your time.
I was on the search for a reputable, clean, skilled tattoo shop with a level of artistic talent that wouldn't make me regret letting someone permanently mark on my body. Â I asked around and everyone I asked told me to go to Aces.
I would HIGHLY reccommend Aces for anyone who is looking to get a tattoo at a reasonable price from a very skilled artist. Â All of the tattoo artists knew what they were doing, and were able to speak intelligently about how they would or would not reccommend a certain design.
My friend wanted a new piece for her shoulder but did not have it totally worked out on placement or design. Â Within minutes of talking to Jake, he drew it out for her. Â With his reccomendations on placement and size, she came out with something she is completely happy with.
I needed my foot tattoo fixed, and again, Jake had a vision. Â He was able to make us both feel comfortable and helped us through the pain with comedic conversation.
My only complaint about this place is how difficult it is to get in - which I take as a good sign. Â After speaking with someone on Sunday about making an appointment, I was told to just walk in on Monday. Â When we did, we had to make an appointment 4 hours later.
However, I always like to think, if it's on your body, it's worth waiting for someone who will do the best job.
I guess this is more of a review of the artist Jon McCann than Aces. I travel all the way from Bend, OR so Jon can do my work. Over the past seven years I have 6 pieces by him and one cover up, all absolutely gorgeous. I used to go to him when he owned Absolute Tattoo on Wells but I hear he's moved to Aces so I will be scheduling my next session there. Seriously worth the 8 hour drive.
Review Source:Did some research of local Reno Tattoo shops. I was going for a mini getaway with hubby & friends. I wanted to get a tattoo while in town, i called Aces and the girl was super friendly and personable. I was able to go in and get exactly what I wanted at a great price!! Jake is a great artist and he was very patient and fast. I would even say light handed. I am very happy with my choice!
Review Source:I went in on Friday and showed Dan (on the desk) my drawing and he told me it can't be done like that and recommended I talk to an artist for a better option. So  on Saturday I met Jason when they opened and let him look at my shitty drawing. After explaining why my idea wouldn't work as ink he helped me put together a design with the elements I wanted and sketched out a new drawing. 2 hours later he had it cleaned up and ready to ink it in. 2 1/2 hours after that I was off the bench with my new tat.
There are a lot of artists and options that could have been thrown at me. Or worse yes, some ass-hat could have just went with my drawing and in a few years it could have looked like shit. But even Dan was good enough not to let me do something that would have sucked just for the money.
In short, price was reasonable, place was super clean and most of all the artists are honest and talented. I highly recommend Ace's.
BTW, If your a high-maintenance whiner, pass on this place. Your going to them for a service, so realize they have the right to tell you its a bad idea or say no. So if that's you I recommend you go someplace else to get that hummingbird inked on your ass.
As always Aces didn't disappoint. Â Ron Rash was the artist this time and I am so happy to have some of his artwork. Â My brother and I wanted bluebirds on our shoulders, I know right? Â Anyway Ron Rash does great animals and he was the one to draw up our bird and was really nice. Â If you want fun traditional style animals check out his portfolio, pretty cool. Â So long story short, I will be going to Aces for my next tattoo, so far the two artists that I've worked with have been nothing short of awesome.
Review Source:Great artists but horrible follow-up. I got a couple of tattoo's in the beginning of spring and I was excited about getting additional work done (leg sleeves and back). I was cancelled upon last minute a couple of times last minute with no reschedule. I waited for a week, then two weeks passed by and nothing. I pay a lot of money for 2 things in Reno..Corals and tattoos. Safe to say I will never go to Aces again and continue to go to a place that appreciates my business.
Review Source:Jake was so great !! Not my first tattoo or my last but 25 words on my side , he was very patient and nice to me. He did a great job on a very personal tattoo to me. I am so glad we went into this shop. Great price to. And he even offered myself and my husband a ride to our hotel . Super great thank you jake!!!
Review Source:I have half a dozen other tattoos, and had been thinking about my next for a long time, and finally had the time and the money to get it.  I walked in to Reno Tattoo Company and talked with one of the artists about my idea.  His lack of confidence in his own ability was indicated to me when he said the drawing of it would take him about 3 hours, and then I could sit in the chair for another 3 (and pay 3x as much?).  I walked out and went straight to Aces, which I just should have done in the first place.  I walked in and told Ron about my idea.  At first, he was hesitant, but only because my idea, and the placement, did not bode well for a long lasting investment in art.  Ron came up with a design I liked even more than my own, showing me a higher quality of tattoo design than I had thought could be attained in Reno, and sat me in the chair within 10 minutes.  The design is amazing, the colors are fantastic, and the quality is the best I've ever seen.  You can tell this shop takes pride in everything they put on skin, as witnessed not only by their professionalism but by the art you walk out wearing.  On top of it all, the healing process (on my foot, no less) has been the easiest of all my tattoos and the price was more than fair, so I tipped 25%.  I plan on returning many times.  Everyone in the shop was fun and friendly, the atmosphere itself lends itself to the act better than anything  Ron Rash ROCKS!
Review Source:I came in to talk to Jared Isenberg about getting some custom work done, Jared was friendly and eager to draw up a tattoo based on my simple idea. I had veiwd some of Jared's art on the Aces website and liked his traditional style. We set an appointment date and I paid a very reasonable $40.00 deposit.
First impression was that  the shop is clean and well designed for tattooing, cool art on the wall but plenty of open space and natural lighting.
I arrived for my appointment and the drawing was perfectly what I wanted. It was sized and stenciled in minutes and I was sinning in the hot seat in no time. Jared works fast made real good time for a big piece , three hours from the time I walked in I was leaving with a bomb ass Tattoo. $250.00 was a reasonable price for quality work, I immediately set up another appointment for the following month. Great art, nice shop.
Ive received so many compliments in the 5 days since, and have given the shop and Jared a few recommendations to some potential clients.
Eli might just be the most amazing tattoo artist ever. He came highly recommended to me by a friend that has only had work done by him (Eli). I brought in a custom piece he got a feel for how I wanted the coloring and he did a FLAWLESS job in a very short amount of time. I've had my tat now three years, and it's still as perfect as the day I got it. You want somewhere with awesome artists- come here. Anything other than amazing- go somewhere else.
Review Source:After moving here, I was hesitant about finding a new tattoo shop or artist around here - it's such a permanent and personal thing, you have to have a connection and feel good about the artist's work. Â I checked out the reviews and websites of every shop in town and asked for referrals from nearly every tattooed person I could find! Â I finally decided that, since I was going with something rather small on my wrist, to pick the one I liked the best and go. Â That was Aces!
They take cash only, be forewarned. Â And, that includes for making an appointment - you can't call, give them your credit card and book your appointment. Â You have to go in and hand them cash. Â A little less convenient, but not unlike most shops. Â Just be prepared.
So, I made an apponitment for my friend and I. Â She was getting a bunch of lettering done, so I scheduled her with Jared. Â I booked my appointment with Ron. Â The guys were super nice when we arrived. Â Now mind you, although half of my back is covered plus several on my ankles and some piercings, you wouldn't guess that by looking at me since they aren't visable most of the time. Â My friend was getting her first tattoo since college and is a yogi and vegan...we didn't look like their typical customer, I imagine. Â Yet, we were still greeted with warmth and professionalism.
The work we had done was small and quick, but they still took the same care with us as if it were a large piece. Â We worked on the design a bit until we were both happy. Â I will be going back for a little touch up, but that's because I am super anal retentive. Â The work that Jared and Ron did was excellent and I look forward to having more work done at Aces! Â Maybe a half sleeve is in my future! Â :)
I have been getting tattooed by these guys for 18 years and won't go anywhere else...they are the sh*t!
If you are in Reno, this is the place...all the other fly-by-night shops that have popped up over the past five years can't hold a candle to these guys.
They do Old School, Portraiture, Japanese, you name it, they can do it. I usually just bring in a crappy drawing or design I have them and tell them to work their magic. They take pride in their work and will let you know what is going to work and what won't.
I'm not sure about all these other reviews, maybe they walked into a different shop. I had a half sleeve started at Reno Tattoo Co. and I was disappointed by the unprofessionalism, extreme difficulty to schedule, and the artwork having many, many mistakes. I had very little of the tattoo actually worked on at this other place, and a year later, I am finally finished. Ron Rash at Aces Tattoo took care of me and has complete professionalism. The staff there are supportive of each artist, everyone comes by, comments, makes suggestions, and most importantly, supportive of the person getting the tattoo. Not once have I been disappointed being there. Dan, the person who cleans up stations and answers the phone/makes appointments, is always extremely friendly and understanding of schedule issues. Ron finished my tattoo in 3 sittings, and it looks amazing. I highly recommend Aces. I plan on getting an original piece from Ron really soon!
Additionally, I received an email from the first artist telling me that they were going to email out the design in full color flash to every tattoo distribution company so that everyone else can have the same tattoo because I decided to have someone else finish it. Extremely childish, which makes me very happy that I changed locations. I send all my friends to Aces now. My tattoo went from a "fixer upper" to a gorgeous piece of work, after being finished by Ron.
(This review isn't to create drama between shops or people)
I came into the shop asking if they did walk-ins.
They did.
I asked Jason at the front desk who the best artist for ladies faces or artistic tattoos.
He pointed to Elijah, and once I met this guy I knew he was going to be chill.
Point is the shop is definitely clean, definitely professional, and definitely good.
The prices are mostly moderate but I think can be open for discussion but as always YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!!!
I was referred by family to go to Aces. We showed up on a Saturday just as they opened and I was on the table getting tattooed within 30 minutes. The guy at the front desk was super nice and took my awful drawing and showed me a piece of artwork very similar. They incorporated my ideas into it. The guy who tattooed me was the typical tattoo artist. They aren't super chatty and are very focused. Overall, it was reasonably priced and good artwork.
Review Source:When I'm getting a permanent marking on my body, the last thing on my mind are the manners of someone working at the front, or even the artist. It's all about skill and quality. If you want someone to be super sweet to you and put a non-expensive fairy on your lower back without making any suggestions, go get a shitty tat somewhere else. Yeah, so some of the guys need a little nicotine in their blood before they get started. So what? I'll buy a whole effing pack for them if that's what it takes to get the best of the best. And trust me, Aces is the best of the best. I've seen some shit tattoos in Reno, and I've seen some really beautiful work. Not surprisingly, the shit ones weren't done at Aces, and the good ones were.
If you want a real talented professional for that seven needle serenade on your skin, go to Aces.
I have many tattoos from aces and even worked next door for a number of years. In that time I've gotten to know Jared, Rob, Jason, Kevin, Eli and a number of other guest artists. They are all knowledgeable and talented. If you want something done right, go here. Simple as that.
Aces specializes in kick ass rock and roll tattoos. Jared is a pro at rad old school style work. Rob is a fantastic portraitist, and all around great tattooer. Kevin does a multitude of styles, and his japanese work is particularly impressive. Eli can do anything you want as well, but ask him about some more painterly styles, as he is a Savannah College of Art and Design graduate, and fantastic painter. Jason Freeman recently came out of retirement and is rocking it harder than ever. He also does great traditional work, as well as some cool bay area styles.
The shop help will not stroke your ego. They don't need to do every single quarter sized fairy tribal that walks through the door because they are the best shop in town. Sometimes its busy and sometimes they just don't care. But as in most cases, respect gets respect. You're here for a tattoo, not a session with your therapist to talk about your feelings.
Aces continues to win Best Tattoo Shop in Reno in the RN&R year after year.
I've had my share of tattoos and this place is the worst when it comes to service. There was nobody else when I went in. I had my tat printed out and ready, and the girl at the desk was beyond rude! She took forever to print out a stencil of my design.
So after waiting for another 30 mins for the artist to go smoke, he came back and worked on my tat. The only reason why I'm giving this place two stars is because of the quality of my tattoo. The color is perfect and I'm satisifed. No doubt they know tatoos, but they need A LOT of attitude readjustment. They don't accept credit cards, and so you have to use their ATM machine and pay a fee to use it!
These guys really know their stuff! Â A really knowledgeable staff combined with real talented artists = a great tattoo!
I went to Aces on a Friday afternoon, when it is appointment only, and was still able to be seen by Eli. Â (He's awesome, if you go I recommend him...I know I'll be going back!) Â I actually came in thinking I'd be getting 2 small tattoos, but the staff informed me that one design may be too intricate for the area that I had originally wanted. Â That's service! Â I could've walked out with something I hated! Â Instead, I have a beautiful Alibata tattoo, perfect in every way. Â Thank you Eli! Â And thank you Aces! =)
It's easy. You get what you pay for. Reno is full of fly-by-night flash art type places, and even a few terrible shops that have inexplicably lasted for years. Aces is not the cheapest, or even the friendliest, but they are the best.
Most of my good work has been done by Kevin at Aces, and I continue to travel 400+ miles just to get work done by him. That should speak volumes in itself.
The only complaint  that typically arises around Aces has nothing to do with the quality of their work. Ive heard people say that the crew can be intimidating or unfriendly. I don't think that's fair, though. They are the best at what they do, they are always plenty busy, and they may not have tolerance for every drunk yahoo that walks in wanting a tinkerbell tramp-stamp or some sweet tribal work with a skull in the middle for good measure. You can imagine how tedious that might be.
Its a bunch of motorcycle riding tattooed dudes sitting in a shop listening to loud rock and roll, so in that sense, I suppose it could be intimidating, but they are all genuinely nice dudes.
You want custom, high-quality tattoos...this is the spot.
My husband's favorite tattoo artist is Eli from Ace's. He had had almost all of his work done by him. We came all the way from Seattle to get my husbands latest tattoo and the work was top notch. The people that worked there were friendly, the bathroom is a hoot and there are some interesting art pieces on the wall. I spent a good 9-12 hours there and some some kick ass work walk out the door. I recommend this place to anyone looking for an individual place... Ask for Eli.
Bring Cash.. they charge more if you use your card.
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