Scrappy Uno - world class tattoo artist from Mexico City uses Godoy Machines

Scrappy consistently wins competitions. Plain and simple... the guy is a world class tattooist from Mexico City. He specializes in portraits and realism... black n grey. His work can be used as a standard to compare wether or not some one's work is up to par. Really... black and grey uses techniques that artists who only do color and bold lines would not understand. It's safe to say that if you understand these techniques, all the rest will be easy.

We get lots of people who come into the shop who have been tattooed in Mexico.. usually at a resort town.. and they always laugh and say "I know it sucks, I got it in Mexico." The thing is, just as in the United States or Canada.. hell, the whole world for that matter, there are shitty artists and great artists. You just have to find them. If you plan to bring home a souvenir tattoo, why not bring in a good one?

Scrappy sets a high standard.

We're proud to say that he uses Godoy Machines... it's an honor to see this excellent work done with our machines!!

TATTOO MACHINES & THEIR SECRETS - OUT SOON!!

Probably the most important industry text book any professional tattoo artist should own.

The cover art was done by Mark Lankin of Funhouse Tattooing in Vancouver and was written by Art & Steve Godoy.

The function of the tattoo machine is everything. It controls the force at which the needles penetrate the skin. Understanding this function, in detail, will enable any artist of any skill level to reach artistic goals which weren't possible with an un tuned machine.

These days, the tattoo industry is making money. The silly t.v. shows have glamorized the industry so much that everybody and their brother wants to become a tattoo artist. Elevating their status from fry cook to "tattoo artist" has created the backyard scribbler. Now he has "star status"... he can get his "sleeves", meet chicks... be recognized anywhere and work in his unregulated and unsterile environment! Though through the decades, there have always been backyard scribblers, there are more now than ever before! Some suppliers, without ethics, sell to anybody... why? because they are motivated by money.

The tattoo industry is making money, suppliers are making the most money. They are buying cheap and selling high. Most of the machines they sell are manufactured in China and sold for as little as $20.00 a machine. It's really become a throw away world! And why not?? the price is right... if your machine runs like sh*t, throw it away and get another $20.00 machine. Maybe the supplier may even have a sale... you can get it for $15.00!

A good artist should be able to diagnose problems, repair and tune his/her machines. That artist should understand the function of that machine in association with artistic technique. This is the difference between real professionals and amateurs. The difference between gliding through a 1 hour tattoo as opposed to suffering for 2 or 3 hours using a machine which it not tuned.

The machine can't be bought (usually) and expected to perform, right out of the box. Unless it was built by artists/builders who UNDERSTAND what that machine needs, in order to achieve certain results.

This book is the only definitive industry text book of it's kind. This book provides a complete dissection of the electomagnetic tattoo machine, the function of each and every component and it's role in a fully funcitoning well ltuned tool. It will be available by September 30. $140 dollars is nothing to pay for 25+ years of tattooing experience. It is a soft cover with full color images, machine gallery, artist gallery and information you will find only in this book. Educate yourselves and you won't have to feel taken advantage of... see why it has been the most downloaded bootlegged book in the industry...

If you fail to prepare, then prepare to fail.

THE FUTURE IS NOW....

The Godoy Machines V3. The first of it's kind! It has been in production for 2 years, and testing a year prior. It's technology is unique it's function superb, used by the best artists the world over.

BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION.

In order to be a solution, there has to be a problem. Sometimes, nobody sees the problem. It could also be denial that there even is one. Some people know that there is a problem, and want to help but don't take any sides because there seems to be no side that offers a valid solution. That's what's going on in the industry today.

Just because a product comes out on the market, a tattoo machine for example, does not mean that anyone has license to copy or replicate it! People often bring up this complaint in reference to Chinese business practices... when you someone claims to want to "build the best American made products" and STEALS, without license, they are in the same category.

Patent protection is the only way to legally protect your intellectual property. WE don't make a move until we have our patent process underway. This is our standard protocol. We design, prototype and test all of our products before committing to a patent. Any infringers will be notified, and subject to any penalties as a result of their actions. Infringers include ANY distributor or purchaser of the said invention.

If you plan to buy a patent, it is important to check the validity of that patent. Not all examiners at the patent office are equally as thorough during the examination process and sometimes patents slide through for approval without any office actions!!! We were offered a couple of patents for purchase which we had to reject due to their questionable validity.

OUR STANCE

We do not license any of our patents for the simple reason that we believe and have always believed that reputation is earned by merit and contribution, not by false claims or by purchasing the rights to an invention, or by copying an invention. In other words, "do your own f*cking work".

We will continue to keep this manifesto because everything comes clean in the wash and the laundry was just put into the washer.

THE FUTURE IS NOW.

While everyone is raising their glasses to an obsolete generation and being complacent and satisfied with a directionless industry, there are those of us striving to improve technology and the industry as a whole through innovation and education. For some, the complacency is fine, for us and others like us, it means falling behind.

Buy by brand, believe the hype, fall behind. Support education, innovation, function and direction and you won't ever have to wonder.

In an industry full of false claims and dead end paths, you can only trust yourselves. Learn, don't be led by bullshitters.

GODOY MACHINES

This is the NEW steel BLACK WIDOW machine. It's coils are not only triangular in shape, the space between the protruding tops and bottoms allow for more winds of wire. It is a strong smooth running machine, yet sensitive and versatile enough to execute the finest details with the smallest needle groupings as well as subtle grey shades.

Most machine suppliers will sell a machine for the fair market price, but now that China is involved, the price does not always match the product. Most artists want to buy a machine which is ready to go. Buy one of those and if you don't know how to adjust of modify it, the price just wasn't worth it. Our machines are ready to go, tuned and set up to be able to perform whatever function you need to perform.

This is the Godoy Machines V3 machine. This piece of machinery has had year of designing and testing. It happens to be our 3rd patent in the works!! The way this machine runs doesn't compare to ANY machine out there. Every component has been dissected and re worked for function and ergonomics. From the precise machining to the tight layer winds, from the deluxe powder coated finishes to the minor details like fasteners and terminals... this is a piece of highly functional art. Because of the coils shapes, there are more layers of wire than on a standard machine. It will operate at between 6 and 7.5 on your regulated power supply. Which is a higher than on our V2 and Black Widow machines. This does not change function. You will not find a smoother feeling machine than this one. This is the Mercedes of tattoo machines.

The Godoy Machines V2... what can I say. Before our office actions with the square coil patent, we were experimenting with a V series coil. The shape of the coil, the angles of the coil... and of course the wire gauges were all things we were studying. We were also concerned with the magnetic field and how to direct it to where we wanted it to go. We slanted the coils, away from each other to re direct the magnetic field to either end of the moving armature bar, and here ya go... the V2 was born. Future modifications lead us to now, where the rear coil is straight and the front coil is angled.

We use aluminum primarily in our manufacturing of frames due to it's lightness and rigidity. Any artist(s) who speak negatively about an aluminum machine are doing so out of ignorance. Aluminum is an excellent metal to build frames out of because it has all the properties necessary for quality machining. It's soft enough to cut, engrave, drill and tap yet rigid enough to support all the machine's components.

We believe in advancement, we believe in innovation, function and originality. We support creativity and education. We have 2 international patents on our machine technology and are working on a 3rd. We take pride in what we do. 25 years of tattooing has put us where we need to be...

TODAY, WE MADE IT ON MSNBC!!!!

Here is the story about Julia Gnuse... OUR project and good friend. This is a quick version of her story. In case some of you don't know, she is the Guiness Book of World Records - "Most Tattooed Woman".

CLICK HERE.

DESTROY EVERYTHING

Some peope don't get it. The would look at tattoos like this and go "why would someone put that message on their skin?... forever!" The simple answer is cuz they don't give a f*ck what YOU think! Instead of looking at the finished product and admiring the stunning, decorative and perfect lettering done by Juan, and how aesthetically perfectly it fits on Mark's back, people always have something negative to say.

Just look at the perfection. The cleanest lines around, the smooth transition from dark to light on the shading. and look how perfectly it fits...

Check this! Probably one of the largest TASMANIAN DEVILS ever done!!! Fester knocked it out quickly and executed it in awesome style. Most people get them smaller. This guy knew what he wanted and how he wanted it. He had a story to accompany it as well. Some tattooers would say, "I'll never do a Tasmanian Devil.." We ask "Why not?" they would in turn give you some recycled answer they have heard some place before, from another un original artist... trying to act as if it's below them to tattoo this image. When in reality, who gives a fuck? It's a customer service job and they act like they're doing the client a favor!! Egos and attitudes have no place in this trade. One these guys are serving burgers and the next they're tattoo artists... it's an immediate image upgrade from ordinary to rock star status! Silly... don't stand for it! If you go into a shop and get treated like a turd, leave and come here!!

MACHINE UPDATE

GODOY MACHINES V3 OUT NOW.

Another idea realized. Finally, the V3 is out and ready to go. Patent work is well underway and the kinks have been worked out.

The Godoy V2. Still an example of innovation and beautiful aesthetics, the porsche of tattoo machines. Total style and un equalled performance.

We specialize in building machines which are different from eachother, we don't just sell different frame styles with the same old components. Which is common to find in most suppliers' catalogs. It's amazing taking our ideas from the drawing board to physical test prototypes, to final production. We're so proud to share these with serious artists.

JULIA GNUSE VOTED MOST TATTOOED WOMAN... AGAIN.

I (ART) started tattooing Julia in 1991 in Newport Beach California. She walked in one day without any tattoos, hoping to get some relief from a skin condition which was a side effect of her liver producing too much iron for her blood. The skin condition manifested itself in the form of blisters which were as deep as 3rd degree burns. They commonly show up on the hands and face mostly but other body parts were affected. She made an appointment to start tattooing her body suit for the following week. Twice a week for the next 7 years and about 2300 hours later, she was the most tattooed woman in the world. I moved to Canada in about 1998 and my brother Steve took over where I left off. We have appeared on the Guiness Prime time TV show, You Asked for It, Ripley's Believe it or not, Pro Sieben TV (Germany)... and many more.

Recently, she was in Milan where she was AGAIN voted most tattooed woman. There have been several contenders but none with the coverage she has. I look at her photos and it's hard to believe that she was my project...and my brother's, and we feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to opportunity to tattoo her, to have had the recognition we have had and at the same time, be able to restore confidence and happiness in Julia's life, by putting images on her skin which she loves to look at everyday instead of blisters and the scars they leave.

People judge all the time but they don't know her story. If I was in her shoes, I would do the same thing. When experimental medication causes blindness, when dermabrasions and chemical peels only left scars... when doctors said there was NO treatment available which would end this condition, tattooing saved her sanity & happiness. I have had one well known local artist tell me that what I did was "wrong" and that he wouldn't want to "contribute to another person's nightmare". How can this be considered a nightmare when she smiles everyday, now knows Quincy Jones, has been asked by Aerosmith to appear in the "Pink" video, she gets paid for TV appearances, she is flown all over the world - all expenses paid, to show herself off... and all because she wanted to remedy a condition which NOBODY could treat, except tattooing.

DIEGO MORALES - ALICANTE, SPAIN

Diego Morales is an Argentine tattoo artist who lives and works at his own shop "Fusion Tattoo" in Alicante, SPAIN. We met him and his wife Fatima while doing a seminar in Castellon, Spain at a tattoo convention. He and his wife have become really great friends and business associates. They distribute our machines in Spain and set up yearly machine seminar tours for us. Pictured here is one of his machines. This one is ALL hand made. Lots of cutting and filing, coil winding, finishing. He is known for his precision and eye for details. His tattooing is great too.

Look at the craftsmanship. The insulation, the care he took to shrink the coils and polish the binding posts... this is a quality product made by an artist who TRULY knows his trade inside and out.

Their devotion to the art is priceless. From the quality of their (Diego and Fatima) work and shop's presentation, to the meticulous precision of his machine's construction and the belief in educating tattooers world wide, these people deserve recognition globally.

NEW ARTIST - "FESTER" STARTING AT SHOP

Armando "Fester" Castruita, is starting at the shop today. Great artist and friend. I've known him for many years from attending tattoo conventions in Mexico. He is a great talent, and we're stoked to have him in with us. He and Juan used to work together in Fester's shop "Ninety Nine Tattoo" in the city of Celaya in Mexico. He can do any style of tattooing... with his eyes closed!

His schedule is not yet set, it will be in the next few days. Come by and check his portfolio out or just tell him "welcome"!

GET READY!!!

NEW GODOY INTERVIEW 2010

Realistic & direct. If you tattoo, read this. Not putting anyone down, just being realistic.
http://www.tattoolz.com/godoy2010.html

LIMA PERU - TATTOO CONVENTION LAST YEAR

Lima is a rad city. Peru is a real gem. It is full of unexpected surprises!! We were scheduled to do a seminar at the convention put on by Ramon. There are 2 conventions that happen there, one is put on by Ramon and the other by Miguel... We prefer Ramon's convention. It is bi annual and very professional.

We usually arrive at least a day prior to the event so we can iron out any kinks before we do the seminar, wether we need to buy tools, supplies, copy participation certificates or whatever it may be. On our way to do our shopping routine, we walked past a music store, saw some stuff we wanted to check out. While we were there, a guy came up to us, he said he recognized us from Thrasher Magazine from 1990!! He was an ex-sponsored skater named Juani Masias... we made friends and set up a time to surf in the morning. Morning came too soon, but we were excited to surf Peruvian waves!!! He picked us up and we were off...

Peruvian Surf Vehicle

We drove south down the coast passing old parts of the city which were once trendy and have lost their modern appeal. These places were full classic architecture, and very colorful. You would expect this country to be warm all year round but that is not the case! Remember, when you move further from the equator, in either direction, you start to have seasons. These seasons on opposite ends of the globe, are opposite from each other. For instance, when it's winter in Canada, it's summer in Argentina. Same as Peru. We were there in their fall... the water was cold, in this photo, you can see the greyness... look at Steve freezing his ass off...

Behind Steve is where we surfed. The beach was called Caballeros... it breaks into a cove, there are rights and lefts. This day, there were waves, it was 6-8 feet on the face. If you look to the left in the photo, around the middle of the picture, you will see some waves breaking WAY outside... this peak is called "Pico Alto". This is a HUGE wave.. it breaks way out and you have to be towed into it in order to get on. You wouldn't have the strength to paddle onto it on your own. In this photo, we're facing the ocean, what do you think is behind us when you're looking toward the ocean? Topical Greenery? Palms? NOPE!!!

Sand dunes and more sand dunes. Those are all little ghetto houses on the side of the dune. As desolate as it looks, it has a real cool personality. The waves were clean and good... strong and relatively uncrowded. It was a good time. Our friend Juani, shaped one of the boards we took out. Totally functional but visually unconventional. We came in and got some food at the restaurant/surf shop there before we headed back to the city.

Art and Juani eating chips and talking shit.

The way back was interesting too!! We were re routed to different roads due to a potential riot about to happen. There were cops in riot gear, shields and helmets... people on the other side of the street ready to go. Not sure what it was about, but after many travels in South America, we could guess that it may have something to do with the government f*cking their people over in some way.

How many of you readers have eaten ceviche? It's a raw fish prepared in lime juice. The lime juice "cooks" the fish. Peru is well known for that dish, as well as a juice made out of corn! This was on the menu for us that night. The traditional Peruvian foods we ate were great. There was one in particular which was NOT so hot... anticuchos... cow heart. Not so good.

The tattoo convention was great, it was packed. In our seminar, we met several artists from different countries, the most standout ones were the Naranjo Brothers. They are from Ecuador, Quito to be exact. The shop they own is called House of Style. They are unreal artists... both of them. Mauro is the older brother, he is a machine builder as well. His creations are original and very well tuned. It shows in the tattoos he does... we met other brothers there who bought machines from us. In the photo below, they teamed up on a back piece. They finished this in 5 hours. The client sat like a champion!

All that red is NOT blood!!!

The convention was a success for us and even if it wasn't monetarily profitable, just being there is worth every penny you spent. The culture is rad, the people are cool, the scenery is unbelievable, the waves were quality, the food delicious... can't wait to go again!

TATTOO CONVENTION - MONTERREY, NUEVO LEON MEXICO

The tattoo convention in Monterrey Mexico is one of the biggest in the country. The one this year happened March 5-7... Look at the size of that crowd, that wasn't even ALL the people who were there. Behind the booths to the left were way more... Here we see the best tattoo of the day awards being given out, this guy ended up in 3rd place.

Here are some more images of tattoos which were entered. There are way more on my memory card... will put em up later. Any of you who tattoo that live in North America, take note.. these weren't even the winners. Mexico excels in black n grey, and realism...their style of traditional BLOWS AWAY the simplistic Americana shit we see constantly.

THIS TRIP WAS SO FULL OF COINCIDENCES!!

SO many that it seemed like they were meant to be. We were on our way to get some banners made, since we had forgotten ours, dropped off the art work, went to make some stickers and got directions for a taqueria which has a reputation for being the best around. On the way there, we saw a little gallery on a side street called the GODOY GALLERY... our last name is pretty rare, we decided to stop in and meet GODOY, the owner. The Gallery was small in the front part of it, a counter and TONS of art for sale... mostly pictures of women with big t*ts. There were post cards, business cards, sheets with descriptions of astrological signs and pairings...

We got invited to an art show that night, we went... coincidentally it was all tattoo related, another coincidence - it was put on by a friend of our - FLACO, in association with Dr. Lakra.!!

Here is Steve standing next to the part of the exhibit which showcased record covers which included tattoos. Here is GG Allin, the original scum f*ck. Steve tattooed him in 1986 with an exacto blade in Dallas Texas. It was a swastika inside an german cross. A few moments later, several tattooers whom we have know for a long time showed up!!! We met a photographer whose name was also GODOY!!!

Here we are at the gallery L to R - Art Godoy, Gallery Godoy, Akylez, Steve Godoy. There was alot of traditional style tattoo paintings as well as some odd items like this one! This rubber baby arm was actually tattooed with a machine and needle. There were tons of single needle line work, small and perfectly shaded roses, faces of women, sayings... very well done.

We also attended a Lucha Libre Femenil... all female wresting matches, which were held in a ring, outside!! It was great. All spectators were getting involved, between the women's fights, kids would go in the ring and beat each other up. Love to see that. The one in the purple glitter shorts is "Unicorn". She had a small horn in the middle of her mask. The one she's got in a hold is always seen doing the weather reports on TV!!! Unicorn kicked her ass by the way..

Juan "Super" Arreguin, won second place in the best tattoo of the day on Sunday. He works at Art's Funhouse Tattoo in Vancouver. To see more of his work go to www.funhousetattoo.ca, or http://www.myspace.com/superflytats.

At the convention, we also met up with a long time friend "el Tigre" from Taxco Tattoo in Saltillo, Mexico. Such a great person. Not only is he a great artists, he's also a shamanic healer. He gets buried in the ground, digs his way out, walks for miles through the desert, eats some peyote, stares at the sun for hours... and then tattoos the next day...

STEVE, TIGRE AND ART.

TIGRE had a convention about 6 years ago which we proudly attended. He had put together a sweat lodge. For those of you who don't know what that is. It's a ceremony where people gather under a totally enclosed Teepee, were there is a hole dug in the ground in the center of it. HOT rocks are put in it and then water is poured on... it's basically a sauna, which gets hotter round after round. You go a round, take a break, another and take a break and keep doing this cycle until you get to the end. The goal was to make it through all 8 rounds. Man, you sweat an sweat. The sweat doesn't just "drip" off of you, it runs off of you like a faucet! At the middle of round 7, when we were totally dying in the suffocating heat, El Tigre was saying a prayer to the creator when someone farted... f*ck. Nobody wanted to admit it... we said, "c'mon, who did it? just admit it!!" Good thing we were sitting by the door flap and got outa there. It smelled like a combination of boiled eggs and dog sh*t. Almost made it....

Tattoo - Steve & Art Godoy Funhouse/Outter Limits

Tattoo TV - Steve & Art Godoy Funhouse/Outter Limits Tattoo - Jano Bullon (Tattoo.TV) on MUZU

We offer professional products and professional services to professional artists in shops.

Anyone who does not fit this criteria can look elsewhere.

We take pride in the work we do.

We believe in the advancement of the art

through education, innovation, function...this is our direction.

25 years of dedication to the art and the mechanics of tattooing.

We're here to help.

Check our tattoo machine site for more information HERE

MACHINE INFORMATION

We occasionally look at forums... well let us rephrase that. On certain searches, we accidentally get routed to forums where tattoo artists meet and gossip. Talking about things that could benefit the industry as a whole. And sometimes about things that they truly don't know about. The tattoo machine is one of them. One time, at a convention, we walked by a booth belonging to a well known machine manufacturer who was telling a client who just purchased a machine from him, "Ok, in 2 weeks, turn the contact screw a quarter of a turn and then run it for 30 days, after 30 days, turn it a quarter turn more and run it for 30 more days and it will adjust itself'." WHAT!!!??? PLEASE EXPLAIN. How will it adjust itself? Adjust itself for what function? These machines have no 'memory', they are simple... how will it recognize the input of the quarter turn and instinctively know how to 'adjust itself'? It is un believable... just like questioning a $100.00 price tag on a book that will take you to levels of tattooing you never thought you could reach because you have been struggling with machines that don't do what you need them to do. Getting advice from artists with 25 years tattooing experience, of which 19 years of that has been dedicated to tattoo machines is priceless... but, as usual, most people want something for nothing. Books cost money to print, they take time to lay out, to reread for errors, they take time to print... there's your first cost.. second, the information inside will make you money, and help improve your work - it will take one less worry away from your tattooing routine - THE MACHINE - so that you can concentrate on translating your art into a tattoo... not some half hearted effort. Knowledge is power. Educate yourselves. Don't let EGO get in the way of your progress. TATTOO MACHINES AND THEIR SECRETS is the way to go.

FUCK IMITATORS, FUCK IGNORANCE. SUPPORT INNOVATION, FUNCTION DIRECTION AND EDUCATION and you will never feel taken advantage of. Understand the industry for what it REALLY is, not for what it pretends to be.

Under the link to this post on GOOGLE, you will see lots of torrent sites, and download sites which have ILLEGALY put up a link to the download of our book. THEY DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION FROM US TO PUT THAT UP. How did it get there? probably some tattoo artist who has no ethics decided to make some money from our work, bought the cd version and uploaded it. Imagine, the industry which we know and respect, because of what it has done for us, is full of FUCKS like this. It's hard to believe that we gave this industry any credit to keep itself regulated. Let it happen in any other... but not this one! Very few people want to do their time... the mentality seems to be "I can do lines and solid color, and I get paid, what more do I need to know?" So... why not "Steal" ideas, steal E BOOKS... steal machine designs... fuck, steal everything!!

People will educate themselves and soon enough they will see through your bull shit. That you don't really know what you're talking about.. and by the way, to the manufacturer who was giving that BUNK advice to that client - do you know how many of your machines we repair weekly, re-tune, and replace parts on??? You wouldn't believe it! That goes for lots of you "reputable manufacturers" as well... ARTISTS!!!! AGAIN... EDUCATE YOURSELVES AND YOU WON'T EVER FEEL TAKEN ADVANATAGE OF.

GODOY MACHINES POWER REGULATOR

The new GODOY MACHINES Power Regulators are here...

Smooth consistent power. Digital read out, 10 turn... very sensitive!

Constructed of zinc alloy, these are heavy duty and pocket sized... the knob is removable as well. Comes with power cord...footswitch and clip sold separately.

Only have 30 left in stock!! Get em while they last. Color selection available soon...

contact: machinesecrets@gmail.com

The question is, "can you afford to not know this stuff"

These are the days where people who don't tattoo are getting involved in our industry. Tattooing has been recognized as the 2nd fastest growing business in North America and this has invited non tattoo artist people who stand to make a substantial buck from selling products, which they know very little about, to artists who also know little about the products they are buying. As far as machines go, this presents a problem... for the artists who don't know their machines. As things have evolved from the beginning of time, products have made things so EASY, that almost every individual does not need to know anything... the "I'll just buy a new one" attitude is rampant, the craft is gone.. how many artists make their own needles? We're proud to say we do!! Same goes for machines... it's a throw away item now. We have seen machines on sale for 6 dollars on line!! Maybe you can afford a new machine when the one you are using isn't doing what you need it to do, but how can you call yourself a professional tattoo artists when you don't know how to fix or tune the main tool of your trade?

People live for hype, they believe it... look behind the products and you may be surprised at who is selling them. Everyone wants to buy a machine which is already "set up" and ready to tattoo. How do you buy a machine? do you buy for aesthetics? or do you buy because the catalog labels the machine "liner" or "shader"? How do you know that it's set up to line, shade or color, just by looking at the photo in the catalog? maybe you buy for "name brand". Many well known name brands outsource their manufacturing to people who don't tattoo, there is no quality control and guaranteed, they are probably built by NON tattoo artists who don't know what you need as an artist. The machine is simple, the recipe is over 100 years old and the truth is, there is little innovation these days... one guy copies another, who copies another, who copies another...

If you want to be a "portrait guy", why would you buy from an artist/builder who DOES NOT know or understand the techniques necessary to do even, smooth grey shades?, or who can't do fine lines? Some of these guys who can't apply these skills, often hide behind the excuse that the lines won't hold up in X amount of years, when the truth is, they can't do that type of tattooing!

Another question is: What is the difference between Chinese 24 gauge copper wire and North American 24 gauge copper wire? Is the American 1010 steel better than chinese 1010 steel? if the ingredients are the same, the coil shapes are the same, the core diameters are the same... what is the difference between these machines besides the frame design aesthetic? Maybe the spring gauges are different.

THINK!! Don't be fooled... vote for innovation, function and direction... vote for originality and individuality.. Educate yourselves and you will NEVER feel taken advantage of. You can buy ANY electromagnetic machine and know instinctively how to repair, modify and tune it, IF YOU UNDERSTAND IT!... there IS some hype to believe... "Tattoo Machines and their Secrets" the most important book you could ever own... for more info http://www.tattoolz.com

CAN YOU AFFORD TO BE WITHOUT IT?