Eights and Aces

I have been tattooed here twice in the past year and both times my experiences have been amazing. Ethan did both of my tattoos and and did so in such a manner that was comforting, friendly, and professional. He makes sure that what you want is going to look amazing for the rest of the time the ink will be in your skin. Flip is hilarious and is also very welcoming and only wants the best in your tattoo experience. Also bring him some Tejava because that stuff is awesome.

Ethan tatted me earlier today and it was a great experience. I walked into the shop right when they opened with a simple idea and within a few hours Ethan drew something up that was way better then I had originally envisioned. He and Flip were both incredibly friendly and had me laughing throughout the entire process. I love my new tattoo I would highly recommend them both.

Ethan tatted my best friend and it was a GREAT experience for the both of us. He was so nice on the phone when we called to talk pricing and logistics and when we went in the shop he was so welcoming and chill. he was patient with my best friend while she explained what she wanted. Great artist, while still pleasing the original idea of the tattoo. Adrian was there too tattooing someone else, talented, nice guy. Ethan is knowledgable about coloring, and the art of placement and what looks good. he helped my best friend create a cool vision of what she wanted and it turned out better than she imagined! nice clean environment, and funny guys who keep you feeling comfortable and entertained while you’re there. we enjoyed our time and would make the two hour drive just to see Adrian and Ethan again. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ recommend.

Time for number four !!! Ive been toying with and tossing around number 4
I finally got my ideas translated into Hebrew. The art work was turned into Flip and he did his magic
Im very happy with the results. Less then 2 weeks and its pretty much healed
Now to plan for number 5 !

FLiP is the homie! Gotten two tats from him so far. Super chill… always makes sure you are getting what you want and makes you feel really comfortable. Everything is clean and sterile… friendly atmosphere… I will only go here to get tatted!!!

For all your tattoo needs, go see Adrian Aguayo ASAP! Followed him from another studio in SC simply because I haven’t gotten such great service and care from any other tattooers in the santa cruz area. Adrian has done 8 or 9 of my tattoos, from big pieces to smaller filler ones. He always patient and understanding even when I have trouble explaining what I want (or don’t know what I want) and makes it into a beautiful piece that is tied together perfectly and fits my personality.
Adrian is very professional and really respects and cares for his clients. I have always felt comfortable getting tattooed by him. I’ve had to cancel on him last minute before and he was super understanding and scheduled me the next week. Overall clean lines, bright and bold colors and unique designs. Highly recommend him, he is an overall great guy who makes amazing tattoos. Thank you Adrian!

They did an amazing job on my tattoo!!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:)) thanks guys! We’re friendly and very easy to work with and made sure they found the right size for the lifespan of the tattoo!!! They have a very clean shop and are very talented. If you live in Santa Cruz or are stopping by, come to Eights and Aces, you will not be disappointed :) thanks guys!

Got my first tattoo there and had a great experience! Staff was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. I’d definitely recommend it!

Got some writing done, scarred me pretty bad in quite a few spots. Wouldn’t recommend. A bit rude and not someone who’s comforting to be around. Not my kind of tattoo artist! Felt discriminated on because of age and was charged an excessive amount for something very minimal.

Admittedly, I am a bit wordy and unconcise; however, that didn’t stop flip from patiently answering my questions on the phone when I called about the location of the shop, walk-​in availability. (I know that sounds pretty basic, but if you know me you know it was more than just a few seconds of conversation!)
Anyway, I walked in about half an hour later. I was cheerfully greeted by Flip who was open, entertaining, and funny with his conversation the entire time. And I was accommodated.
Adrian was awesome! He advised on the tattoo location and explained his thoughts– and he was absolutely spot-​on. He was fast, the process was painless despite the location (side rib cage), and he showed care and concern for my comfort in all regards.
The only reason for deducting a star is the minimum charge amount. The tattoo I got was fairly small and was very basic artwork but I had to pay the minimum, which is higher than I’m used to at other tattoo shops and more than this particular tattoo should cost. However, I was told the charge upfront and chose to continue with the service anyway, so I’m okay with it.
I’ll be back for my next tattoo, and I can’t wait!

I just got a really bad wrist tattoo covered up by Flip and it now looks like an actual tattoo! Thank you so much Flip! I love the tattoo now!

Adrian is an awesome artist. He is very professional and knowledgable about the craft, but most of all he cares about his work and he cares about his clients. He obviously takes great pride in his tattoos and I felt confident in his ability to give me exactly what I wanted. He covered up a tattoo on my inner arm and afterward I felt so pleased that I could actually walk around showing my tattoo without feeling embarrassed. He is an awesome guy and a dedicated tattoo artist, Ethan and Flip as well. If you’re looking for a great tattoo this is the place to go.

ADRIAN!!! He is absolutely amazing. He turned my somewhat satisfactory tattoo to an amazing piece! I really appreciate him taking the time to explain his techniques as well as educate me in so many says about tattooing and the healing process that I never knew. He was also very personable. I’ve never felt so comfortable. I’m recommending him to all my peeps that come out here for training, thanks bro!

I’ve gotten two tattoos from flip and my girlfriend got one they are all great. the prices are really fair for the quality of the piece… I have gotten a couple tattoos around Santa Cruz this is the best shop by far I am planning multiple tattoos from flip he’s quick talented intelligent artist that’s knows his stuff

A friend recommended this place to me and I got some work done by little jen, and let me tell you, they do great work here. I am extremely happy with the way my tattoo came out. She did a great job of listening to what I wanted, not to mention that everyone there is super friendly. I’d definitely recommend this place to anyone that wants to get a tattoo! Will post a picture soon!

Love this shop and the people who work here.
Great artists and very clean! I send everyone their way!

Super rad shop with great artists. I’ve been getting tattooed from little jenny for eight years now. Never been disappointed with her work. She’s very good at conceptualizing ideas with the art you have in mind, placement of the piece, and she has a great sense of humor! Highly recommended!

Emailed flip 4 days before coming in, told him what I wanted and showed him a few examples and he responded quickly and enthusiastically. Walked in 5 min early 1230 on Saturday, he had the stencil ready to go and more importantly drew it up better than I could’ve imagined. He was super professional, quick and funny. The tattoo was absolutely beautiful and I couldn’t be happier.
Absolutely recommended. Great lines and stuck to my color palette for my sleeve in progress. Top notch traditional tattoo (envelope with swallow in elbow ditch)

I have been looking for an artist who I’m comfortable with and like the work of for a very long time. I went in just to talk to Flip (he is the artist of 4 people I know) and ended up booking an appointment for the following week. Being this was my first tattoo, I was very very nervous. He made me feel very comfortable, checked in with me through the whole thing, and it came out more beautiful then I could have imagined. He took my design idea and fit it beautifully to my body and personality. What is more, he patiently explained the aspects in the design I wanted that he thought I would not like and why. I put my trust in him about it, and I’m glad I did! Not only do I LOVE my tattoos, but I’m so grateful I found an artist who cares more about the art then the prestige. He’s a cool guy and he does great work!

I’m surprised by the amount of 5 star reviews this place has because going here, for a price quote, was one of the WORST experiences I’ve ever had at a tattoo parlor.
I have never met anyone as rude as (who I assume was) Flip. I knew that getting a quote might be difficult because I didn’t not have my design printed out on paper, only a phone picture, but I did not expect to be dismissed and treated so poorly. Flip practically ripped me and my friends a new one and declared that even trying to price our tattoo from a picture would «f*ck us both over». He was so rude, I didn’t even know how to respond.
A simple «I’m sorry, but I can’t really price this unless you give me a print out of actual size.» would have sufficed but I guess making us feel extremely unwelcome was his goal today. Aside from that, he told us our piece wouldn’t look good unless we made it into a FULL back piece which was definitely not what I was looking for while other shops were much more friendly and accommodating, and encouraged us that it was doable with a diameter of 4″. If anything, I think it just shows that if a tattoo isn’t his «style», he’s going to treat you like sh*t and try to cheat you.
From a business standpoint, it seems highly unprofessional to treat your customer as such when they are willing to give you $ 100s to create art on their body that will last a lifetime. Especially if it’s their first time your shop.
I definitely will never be coming back here again, nor will I suggest this place to my friends.