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High Voltage Tattoo Shop
Category: Beauty and Spas Tattoo Tattoo [Edit]
1259 N La Brea AveWest Hollywood, CA 90038
Neighborhoods: Hollywood, West Hollywood
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 12 pm - 10 pm
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$$
- Parking:
- Street
- By Appointment Only:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
62 reviews for High Voltage Tattoo Shop
62 reviews in English
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Review from Suzanne M.
Irvine, CA
11/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Small place and off the beaten path. Of course I wouldn't give this place a 2nd glance if it wasn't for Kat. It is a neat set up. Very clean. Love the pink walls and the guitars on the wall. Kat was there the day I came so it was pretty cool to see her giving a tatto. total film crew hanging out, capturing the moment. I have never watched her show - I'm just familiar with her work. So it was pretty cool just to see her work. The crew was friendly and nice. Lots of tourists coming through but for the most part not over crowded at all.
The worst ordeal is parking. Literally no where to park except the local Ralph adjacent to the shop which has signs posted everywhere "YOU WILL BE TOWED" which if you have ever had your car towed in LA can be quite the nightmare. -
Review from Cobra K.
Colorado Springs, CO
2/3/2012 22 photos
$1000 minimum for a portrait tattoo with Kat Von Dee. It's cool coming here to experience what "LA Ink" is all about. The tattoo parlor is actually called High Voltage. Kat isn't always there and doesn't always greet fans/tourists.
If you facetime with Kat...pay her. -
Review from Neil R.
12/30/2011
Ya! Who the f is kat Von d? That's what it reads on the t-shirts of the employees here. And I wonder/wondered the same. Who is she? Apparently, she's some famous Hollywood tattoo artist. Ehhhh, whatevesssss!!!
I'm not too keen on tattoos but my friend is and wanted to get a tattoo. So after searching many different places on yelp, we arrived here and customer service was mediocre at best. Some Chris angel looking dude was trying to help us but I think his attitude got in the way. He was sorta, well... SNOBBY. I suppose if one works in Hollywood they are entitled to the high and mighty attitude. Location. Location. Location.
I digress...
So after viewing some of their work in the artist portfolio. And after being told there's is a $200 minimum for a tattoo regardless of the size. We kindly declined the offer and left. No worries because there are other places charging whole lot less for the same work.
They have a pretty nice tattoo studio however the attitude sorta stank. No go. -
Review from Cindy H.
Huntington Beach, CA
2/7/2012
Don't. Come here it's overrated and if u need to , don't get khoi
-
Review from Michael C.
Los Angeles, CA
8/19/2011
Awful shop and complete rip off. Had my first tattoo's done there, with my wife and my childrens names put on my arms. The artist was Koi, one of the Tattoos is okay but the other side is sketchy and messy!! Actually so bad I want to get it removed. The worst thing is that they totally ripped me off with the price, they charged me $500!!!! $500 for three names that took 45 minutes!! Do not go there and do not support them. Zero customer service and the shop felt dirty.
All in all a complete rip off for a couple of crappy over inked tattoos by some dude named Koi.... -
Review from Alfred V.
Koreatown, Los Angeles, CA
8/8/2011 3 photos
=LOS ANGELES INK/ HIGH VOLTAGE TATTOO SHOP=
Located off of N. La Brea Ave. & Fountain Ave. Immediately before you enter you'll notice the cars passing by taking photos and people running up to the windows to take pictures in front of this NOW, Kat Von D. Land mark!
As you open the door and walk in you will find a young man whom will greet you (SEE MY PHOTOS) asking if you know what you want tattooed? Tons of books and sample patterns to choose from. I gaze at him and ask for a moment to take a look around and I'm intrigued; the place is cool, hip and clean it's got spunk! T-Shirts for sale on the Right, two waiting couches on each side of the shop, portraits on the wall along with guitars (My Favorite), and a mix of lavish vibrant colors schemed into the artsyness of the place.
As you go behind the counter further into the shop you will also find many cool Skate boards hanging on the wall with the the American Flag & others too, with tattoo artist buzzing away at work on black leather chairs while their clients look on at the much pained progress....
I did not get tattooed here today but may in the near future the lines were too long and those cool couches with coffin trimming were occupied with those "next in-line" so I thanked that young man, asked for a card, No cards, and exited Through the streamy crowd of people....Till next time! -
Review from Q. S.
Austin, TX
When entering any tattoo shop, one must always remain respectful of what is happening inside. So many of the negative comments and reviews on here come from people who are either not familiar with tattoo shop etiquette or the balance of said tattoo shop being the focus of an internationally recognized TV show. This isn't just a tourist spot or a grimy hole-in-the-wall tattoo shop, so don't be surprised that the employees don't react like well-groomed customer service reps or scummy, unprofessional tattooers.
All of that being said, I had a great experience at High Voltage. My girlfriend and I were on vacation in LA for only a week. I had decided that to commemorate our trip out there I was going to get a tattoo somewhere in LA. Of course, being the procrastinator I am, I did nothing to find out where might be a good shop. After landing in LA, I texted my tattooer here in Austin and asked if there were shops or artists she could recommend. On the second day, and not hearing back from her, I decided we would just go by High Voltage. Check it out, and maybe just ask about the possibility of getting an appointment with any of the tattooers there.
I'll admit I was kind of put off at first at the amount of people that congregated by the doors before they opened at noon; tourists from all over the world. Groups, families and individuals of Europeans, Asians and Latinos gathered and filed in as soon as the doors opened. Most of these people were there for merchandise and maybe snap a few pics. After 30-45 minutes, they started to thin out and the remaining people were there to speak to Adrianna about getting some work done. When it was our time to speak with her, she asked what I was looking for and recommended I speak to Jack Mosher (I was looking for a Japanese-style snake) about setting an appointment. She told me to come back the next day at noon again and speak with him, and that she would remember me).
We came back at noon the next day, like she said, and she did, in fact, remember me. We spoke with Jack about what I was looking for, and set up an appointment for two days from then (Day 5 of our vacation). I put some money down for a deposit and went back to my vacation. On the day of my appointment, we showed up on time and Jack was getting his station ready. We chatted a bit and he got straight to it. I have never seen someone use a tattoo gun with this type of quickness and precision, he was so fast. He finished up a huge piece on the front of my calf, outline shading, and color, in 3 and a half hours. Of course these guys aren't cheap and I paid more than I was used to, but for the quality of work and professionalism I received I'd gladly go back.
Mind you I had never made any arrangements before I got there and I was able to return from vacation with one of my best looking tattoos. I highly, highly recommend High Voltage. Sadly I never got a chance to meet Kat, but while I was getting tattooed, my girlfriend bought a T-shirt. Due to problems with their credit card machine they accidentally charged her credit card when she used cash. After we got home she realized what happened and called them. They apologized and immediately credited back her money AND sent her another T-shirt AND a signed photo of Kat Von D. Yeah, that really happened!
Amazing experience all around! -
Review from Samuel M.
8/2/2011
Went here out of interest because me and my buddy are tattoo collectors and a fan of the art form. This place is more of tourist stop than a tattoo shop filled with people taking photos outside and buying t-shirts and merchandise. I went in half arsed to be honest knowing its was going to be overpriced and asked for City of Angels across my chest expecting expensive and the woman came back with $500! That's freaking insane and unless Corey Miller himself is going to tattoo me they can shove it. When I asked for a card they told me they don't do cards....? crazy! I ended up going to Ink Kandy and getting a great looking tattoo for $200 by Mr Monster. It's true fame goes to your head!
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Review from Dave and Krystal S.
Los Angeles, CA
6/22/2010
i tried to follow up with Camilla after not actually being "allowed" to speak with her at the ink-n-iron show (her husband/manager said to just go to the shop and get a consultation). then I learned she worked at LA Ink after going to her personal web site. I wasn't super excited to go there, and I pretty much got just what I expected...
I tried the email appointment approach as the High Voltage web site suggests. After 2 weeks and no reply I decided to pop in and just talk to her.
After wading through the tourists I encountered the receptionist type lady who all but spit in my face when I asked if Camilla was working. She asked if I had an appointment and I told her that I had sent two emails over the past couple weeks. She told me to "wait another week or two for a reply." I asked why I needed to wait a month just to see if i could set up an appointment and she was pretty sour with her reply. I won't bother going into it, but she definitely acted inappropriately.
At my job I deal with hundreds of emails each day--it's not that hard. Anyways, I walked out and found Camilla in the parking lot next to my bike, taking a break I guess. I chatted with her for 5 or 10 minutes and she was really enthusiastic about the work I wanted done. Unfortunately, she told me to email the shop and set up the appointment. When I told her I had done that twice she said she never saw them and to do it again.
That's when I figured I'd just move on. I'm not sure why we couldn't just go inside and look at her appointment book and pencil it in. That would have made sense to me. She said that's just how it works at that shop.
Oh well...no soup for me.
PROS:
-Maybe the tattoos artist was good, I could never find out
CONS:
-Sending emails online doesn't get you any service
-Going to the shop gets you nasty service
-Talking to the tattoo artist accidentally outside doesn't get you any service
-Almost a month of my personal time as wasted
-They lost over $3500K worth of my service because no one wanted to do the tiny extra to get me in their seat.
-Customer Service was short of anything good.
-Possibly, the L.A. Ink reputation ruined the potential of the business. -
Review from Karina S.
Los Angeles, CA
10/29/2010 1 photo
One of the top tattoo shops in all of LA. I got tatted here by John Mac, he did an amazing job. They were filming LA Ink the day that I had my appointment so it was a bit odd and I was being hushed by the camera dude when I would talk to my friend who was with me...."reality" TV right? I felt kind of awkward and out of place because they made it look like WE were interrupting their filming, or something, which was really stupid of them. I'm the client. It was hella awkward. Also this place is really overpriced. You're paying for the name. Minimum of $300, that's what I paid....for the name of my city; 2 words. Anywho, on a non-filming day, I'm sure I'd be stoked with the overall experience. Oh and parking is impossible.
Go to Body Electric Tattoo...AMAZING!!!!!!!! Such down to earth guys there, cozy shop on Melrose, unbelievable work. I will only be going here now. -
Review from Virginia S.
Long Beach, CA
6/13/2010
My boyfriend and I were at the Ink n Iron festival at the Queen Mary, in Long Beach, CA. He is a fireman and was looking for an artist to re-do a tattoo that was damaged when he was nearly burned to death in a wildland fire. He got this tattoo when he was in the Army, and is a First Gulf War veteran. The surgeons were able to save the original tattoo my overlaying a skin graft as they fought to save the rest of his arm, which had been burned to the bone in some parts.
No where did we see posted that this 'business' only accepts work over $200, or any other parameters for scope of work. The person at the table did not even care to discuss that, simply waved us away as "not the type of work we do". Yes, it is a simple tattoo, but without price in terms of its meaning.
It is sad that it is about money and prestige, not for heart for those who continue to serve. Many thanks to Eric Jones and the rest of the crew at Gold Rush Tattoo for doing a wonderful job, going above and beyond, and discussing the additional work my boyfriend will have done in the near future. -
Review from Rachel N.
Belmont, CA
8/20/2011
I didn't get tattooed here but I'm a huge Kat Von D fan so of course I had to check everything out. A friend came in and asked if Kat Von D was there and she wasn't but they seemed SO nice and not even annoyed they we were "fans" haha! We asked a bunch of questions and they were happy to answer and told us to check out her art gallery next store and we did... it was pretty cool too!
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Review from Matthew M.
Los Angeles, CA
5/11/2008
The caveat is that I didn't get a tattoo here, so I'm going to review it from an operational aspect only. The artists are I'm sure quite talented and while a couple of them appeared to be super-diva--reality-tv-emo-fuckfaces, most of them seemed very chill and the portfolios (though quite limited in number) were swell.
Seriously though, this is the Disneyland of fucking tattoo parlors. I'm by no means some old school legit tattoo guy but this place is representative of every single thing I hate about LA. That makes me sound like a cock but seriously - there's not a lot I hate about LA, it just so happens all of it is in this shop.
If you've ever been in a tattoo parlor, you know what they look like. They're really dingy. Even the really good ones. So when you walk into this set-decorated chandelier monstrosity with its overwrought faux-patina "reception" desk and pictures of Kat von D EVERYWHERE, you literally ask yourself if you are in a tattoo parlor or not. Tattooing is second to what this place is. This place is a BRAND, pure and simple, in the worst, most contemporary definition of that word. There's an old school 720 arcade game. Cool right? But it doesn't fucking work. It's out of order. It's all show. It has no guts inside it and no soul. Hmmmm... metaphor for the entire shop??? Hell yes it is.
If you want an autographed photo of Kat von D, don't come here because they don't have any. If you want a t-shirt, don't come here, because they're out of all styles except one. If you want a, I don't know, TATTOO, don't come here because there is no system in place to deal with the slews of potential customers, either seeking appointments OR walk-ins.
If, however, you want to stand around in too much black makeup Sidekicking your super-cool, super-sexy friends about how you saw Heidi Montag at a dive bar in Silverlake last night and now you just can't possibly ever go back there - then by all means, THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOU. P.S. though, there's a freaking $200 minimum. Pssh... shouldn't be a problem on Daddy's Amex.
I'll sum this place up with one last BLAST. While I was in there checking out the portfolios and watching my foolish dream of finding someone there to tattoo me slowly melt into a heart-a-gram shaped puddle on the floor, a little girl came into the shop. About 10 years old, wearing obscenely short shorts with something inappropriate written on the ass, escorted by her dad in jean shorts and mom with the teased out hair that might have belonged on that very same street corner about two decades ago. This wee chubby little monster approached the reception area and asked very nervously and very politely for a picture of Kat von D.
THEY WOULDN'T GIVE HER ONE.
Classic. These guys create the effing post-modern Disneyland and then refuse to serve the very masses that eat up the slop they're throwing down. Guess what jerkfaces: If you build it, they will come.
But I will not.
Now excuse me while I go blow the smoke off the tip of my freshly fired .45. -
Review from Brian H.
Vancouver, WA
12/4/2007
LA INK/ High Voltage Tattoo What a disappointment
Current mood: frustrated
I never thought I would be one of those whiney asses who blog, but this really pissed me off. I was LA area for a few days and decided to go to High Voltage Tattoo(on TLC it's LA INK) I go to the website and look up all the necessary info. I found out that they were filming for season two and that had it's own set of issues mainly that they had different off camera hours.... really no big deal. mon-fri 9:00- midnight sat and sun 12:00 p.m. to midnight.
Walk Ins more than welcome!
If you're in the area, come by and get tattooed, and check out the new shop!
They really can't give you pricing info because they can't see what you want online, but a basic hourly rate and minimum like other shops I have been to would be nice. ( I read elsewhere online that it could be upwards of $500.00 depending on what you want but who knows)
The site also touted the fact that they had about 12 artists, so I figured I could at least get a decent tattoo with all the talent they have.
So on saturday after fighting my way through traffic I finally found the place. As I drove by trying to find parking (about a block away not too bad) I noticed a small line out front. This was about 1:00 in the afternoon. By the time I got up to the door the line was a little longer. It was mostly teenieboppers and gawkers with cameras wanting to get merchandise(if this was Disney Land could I get some Kat Von D ears????)
I finally made it through the door and wow was I suprised!!!! (not really) It looks much bigger on T.V.
It was Planet Kat a shrine to all things Kat Von D.( the girl is hot but c'mon) it was sickening.Posters and t-shirts etc.
Hey!!! Your'e not Pixie!!! where's the skateboard ramp and what's with the red velvet rope. I was looking for the signs like aproximate wait from this point and you must be this tall to be tattooed. And the place is so full of merchandise that there was no room.
When you get towards the velvet rope you are confronted by a Pixie wannabe who gruffly asks Tattoos or merch.
The guy in front of me stepped up and asked how much of a wait there was and her reply was do you know what you want??? His reply was yeah kind of and went into what he wanted. Her reply "I doubt you'll get it today,are you local??? come back tomorrow.(what happened to the whole gimme about 15 minutes and I can whip that up for you like I see on tv??? you mean that's not how they really do it ???)
Wow great customer service..Here's a quarter go buy yourself a personality....I also noticed that it's about 1:15 in the afternoon and you have two artists.
I step up and am asked the basic shit.....my reply is "well I would like to incorporate a sea turtle into this armband right here..... "
Same pat answer "It's not gonna happen today, are you local?"
"Well I can be here tomorrow"
"Try to be here right at noon"
Ok, this is where I get a little confused.
1. Shop hours 12:00 to Midnight( granted I did show up at 1:15 p.m. could there have been that many people ahead of me wanting tattoos???) but isn't that 12 hours?? Couldn't I get on a list go and get lunch or dinner or go to Disney Land or oh I don't know.......GIVE ME A FUCKING APPOINTMENT TIME AND I WILL SHOW UP!
2. Two artists???? huh,I would think that as popular as they are they would have as many as possible. I know that the main four probably don't have time to be there but that leaves 8 more. I haven't heard of any of these other artists and I am sure that they would do a good job but from the website you would think that the others drop by to do work.....fat chance.
3.Why even ask if you can't provide what people want?? Do you know what you want???(I knew)Are you local??? (no but I have about 11 hours to kill)can you come back tomorrow at noon and start this process all over again only to be turned away????(would you like your tits shot off???I couldn't resist)
4. Even when I was there, nothing was posted about prices and minimums(if you have to ask maybe you can't afford it???)It would have saved me maybe a trip if it was on the website and saved me some embarrasment at the end(know where I can find an ATM I'm a couple hundred short.)
5. What's the big deal???? If I can't get in to begin with,can't get the artist I want or the work I want done without going to TLC or the High Voltage Website and waiting an eternity for a response that may or may not come.......(believe me unless you have some really sappy story about cancer or a baby or something like that forget it)why bother. If I wanna go to a cramped space with only two "artists" I don't know ,I'll go to Sea Tramp in Portland
Update 3/19/08
I got a "compliment" from ColleenY . saying it was also me that she was talking about in her review.....Oh that must have been the idiotic experience. Well as a matter of fact I was speaking about their service or rather lack there of. I -
Review from Stacey C.
San Diego, CA
11/1/2009
I have never seen the show, but my aunt loves it and wanted to see the shop and get a tattoo. We went in on a Tuesday night and were greeted by the front desk boy (looks a bit like George Costanza) with rudeness, which is kinda what I expected after reading the reviews here. We watched him 'serve' others also, and his attitude was as if he felt better than everyone else.
Anyway, we were given an appointment to come back a couple of hours later and were left waiting past our appointment time because the tattooist who we had booked for, after putting on his gloves, went to the computer and started looking at facebook with a couple of other staff members! When he was finally ready, he called my aunt to the chair and started tattooing her - with the same gloves he'd been using on the computer. GROSS. -
Review from Jasmine M.
Seattle, WA
11/29/2007
I'm not the least bit interested in appearing on the show, I just wanted a fair chance to get some quality ink. I sent a request via the High Voltage website back in late August because my family and I were heading down there in late November.
I never heard from anyone. -
Review from peter w.
Los Angeles, CA
3/15/2009
I want to get a portrait done. I want to spend around $1000 for it. I go in to high voltage and was met by a bumbling idiot of a store manager who was everything but helpful. Then after asking the front desk person the same questions, I got plenty of conflicting info regarding the submission and selection process for Kat's work. Jesus man, what does it fucking take to give people business?!
So, it's a recession right? Here's a good piece of advice. Find an amazing artist and shop that is ready to help you get a piece of work you'll be proud of, and one that respects the fact that you're the customer / client... Not high voltage. It sucks, I wanted to like this place soooooo much.
Props to those of you who had a good experience. I'd look forward to having one also... somewhere else, I guess..:/ -
Review from Angela H.
San Francisco, CA
4/5/2009
Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate Kat Von D, as well as a few of the other artists who work there. High Voltage itself though is kinda overrated. Their shop is really slick, however a lot smaller than it appears on tv. It's painted on the outside with an obnoxious banana yellow, so driving on Sunset, it's hard to miss. The show depicts this open door atmosphere of being about to just waltz in and wander around the shop - so if you're expecting that, expect to be disappointed. The only place you're able to be is inside the shop is a roped off lobby entrance, that is right in front of an unnecessarily high counter. If you're buying any kind of merchandise or paying for your tattoo, be prepared to basically throw your money down to where the counter girl is seated. It's about 2 feet below the top of the counter?
I guess it's cool to go by and see if you're a fan of the show, but I kinda felt retarded being there. In the roped off area that I mentioned, it's always packed with tourists just gawking and taking photos. Being there because I actually am really interested in tattoo culture, it just made it all seem so gimmicky and lame. Both times I visited, I quickly did a u-turn as soon as I went inside.
There is a super-babe named Adrian Gallegos who tattoos there right now. He was standing out front smoking while I waited for a friend to meet me. He started asking me about my sleeve, and I totally blushed as he was talking to me. Smooth. -
Review from Bill M.
Galt, CA
Showed up yesterday, Friday at 11:45am and was first in line. People from all over the world started showing up and by the time the place opened there was quite a crowd. We were greeted and asked what we were looking for and assigned an artist. My sister got a tattoo as well and was out of her chair with her tattoo John in and hour. I was assigned Adam who had an appointment he set with a gal from England some 6 months earlier. Her and her husband came to America got married in Las Vegas, went to Hawaii and were hitting HVT before they went home... how much fun! I hit the table at 3pm with an excellent Cross and banner with "go and make", Mat. 28:19 design and was off the table in 1 hour. The art work is excellent and the cost was half what I expected to pay and right in line with what others told me they paid for their tattoos. I say I got a great deal!!
A funny story regarding setting appointments, I am speaking with Dan Smith about getting a portrait of Jesus and ya know what... at 2:30pm when I was there he sent me an e-mail setting a date in August! Good things are worth waiting for.
All in all we were there for 4 hours and both my sister and I consider it to be one of the funnest things we have ever done... it was a total hoot! The people watching was exceptional and the place was a total buzz with action, happy people and a lot of creative excitement. No question the place is a money magnet attracting eager patrons from all over the world. We met people from Australia as well... there were punk rockers, kids with spiked mow hawks and old men like me all having a great time. Hey, ya got to love it... 10 people all waiting to pay big dollars for a service. All those pissy reviews are just pissy people who do not know how to live life on the fun side.
Yes we saw Kat, we saw a lot of the others we see on the show as well. It was a added bonus to connect with them and kind of become a part of the story. It was my first tattoo and I thank High Voltage Tattoo for making it an experience to remember.
My experience... 5 STARS and we'll see ya there in August! -
Review from Christine B.
Chino, CA
4/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
Cool place. Worth chking out at least once ! Love the decor! I like wonderland nxt door! A+ on that gift shop kat!
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Review from Pearl V.
San Jose, CA
3/17/2008 7 photos
Whaaaa? NO KAT VON D.???? lol
Boyfriend wanted a picture with hottie Kat Von D. but his dreams were crushed when we arrived and, alas, no Kat was in sight. Oh well, I got a couple good pics for Yelp. I didn't see a merchandise section, which was another disappointment for him since he wanted to buy an LA Ink shirt.
2/5 stars
========
UPDATE ON *3/19/08*
In response to a comment made by Colleen Y. that her review was based on people like ME... I love the show too, AND all its artists, but that doesn't mean I'll give it an automatic 5 stars JUST BECAUSE of that. Also, even though I haven't been tatted by anyone here, at least I have actually stepped inside this store unlike others who just rate it 5 stars because she likes the artists and watched the reality show.
Bumped it up one star to shut her the hell up. However, those were some pretty bold statements coming from someone who hasn't even been to High Voltage. Geez. So hey-- Colleen Y, chill out, will ya? =] Furthermore, am I alone in believing that reviews should NOT even be made unless you've actually patroned the establishment??? I mean, if that were the case, I'd have a million reviews... all based on my personal feelings and thoughts. Hahaha... People want to hear about your experiences, NOT your biased opinions based on watching the show, which like all tv reality shows, are probably even not that realistic.
========
UPDATE ON 3/20/08
Colleen Y. removed her review. HA. Funny. -
Review from Libby R.
Los Angeles, CA
3/3/2009
Since my break up, I wanted a new tat to capture the experience.
My best friend offered to pay for it, and suggested High Voltage. I checked out the website and researched their artists and narrowed it down to four I was interested in. I looked at the online form to set up an appointment and was NOT feeling the whole send a deposit thing. So I decided to try and walk in and if it didn't work out...we'd go to the place I got my other 2.
Upon walking in, besides drooling over Kat's hot ass brother, I was pleasantly surprised. I was able to get an appointment with one of the artists I liked from the site, Khoi, and was quoted a VERY reasonable price for what I wanted. We had to leave a $100 cash deposit to reserve the spot, but there was an ATM so not a problem.
The experience was great. My artist hand drew my design based on what I brought in and took it to another level and made it bigger and better than I expected. He was friendly and worked really quickly.
It was pretty dead...only one or two other clients in the 2 hours I was there, but if I get more ink, I'm definitely going to come back.
Hate the decor? Bitch bitch bitch. I've been to my share of tat shops and, trust me, there's a lot worse things than a clean, over decorated shop. Too LA? Um, hello. You live here. There are douche-bags in lots of popular places, but I'm not going to base an entire review on the patrons...that would make me a douche-bag too.
Overall, I would definitely suggest this place. :) -
Review from Modern L.
Los Angeles, CA
4/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Camila Rocha was great! A really fun experience doing the whole donation for Japan thing too! Shop was busy tonight and was cool to see almost everyone there! I was tattooed right in front of Kat! :D
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Review from tora B.
Santa Monica, CA
4/5/2009
This place is soooo bullshit LA wannabe subculture. The minimum is 200 dollars. Crazy minimum fee for a small tattoo.
The receptionist guy with the black hair was rude and soo LA; he made me want to kick him in the shins because he did not know what he was talking about and he was totally rude too!
My friend wants an awesome tattoo on her palm and he rejected her without proper info about why that tattoo is not a good idea to place onto her palm. After that he said the minimum is 200 dollars! So, my friend still wanted the damn tattoo and he told her if she wasnt an experienced person who has been tatted all over then he wouldnt reccomended it. Fuckin idiot. How could he know if she wasnted tatted all over her ass! lol Would that make her experienced? Or was it because she didnt have sleeves to show that she's an experienced person who have multiple tattos! lol @ being experience for getting tattoos. He was a horrible represenative for High Voltage and for Kat Von D.
Plus, to the asshole who quoted my friend 200 dollars minimum; she had the money + more; freakin moron. -
Review from Sunday A.
Palm Desert, CA
4/26/2010
I came in on a Friday night at about 7ish, and of course there were people there buying shirts or asking for tattoos, etc. It did feel like something out of television, like a studio version of a tattoo parlor, but I actually thought the overall feeling was chill and friendly. Two of the recent American Idol contestants were in line ahead of me: Sibohan Magnus and Lee Dewyze. They both wanted a rather large sized tattoo that night and seemed kind of upset when it didn't happen.
I, on the other hand, not famous and definitely not with a body guard, wanted to cover up a bad, small wrist tattoo with a larger heart tattoo. Small tat, overall. They were able to make an appointment for me that night, which made me feel like they didn't pay attention to "famous" or "not-famous" status, they fit me in when they had time.
I came back at 9 thirty and artist Adrian Gallegos did a free-hand sketch over my old tattoo that just was incredible. It turned out SO beautifully, it is absolutely worth the price to have something that lasts forever on your body. I've spent more money on a haircut and dye!
Adrian was an excellent artist, I can't stress how beautiful the tattoo looks. Whether or not the shop is famous or its "fame" annoys people, it's a great shop with genuine people who do excellent tattoos. Worth the price and the wait! -
Review from Steve P.
Covington, KY
10/29/2007
First off, I think I'm the only one on here so far that actually did get tattooed by Kat.
I don't know why all the whiners are here. They sound like bitchy tourists that don't know how shows are recorded. Seems everyone thinks life works just like it does on TV... well guess what, it doesn't. Deal with it and move on. The shop was built for a tv show AND a tattoo shop and I think it does both very well. I'm not local but I'm wouldn't be bitching about filming if I lived in Hollywood. Seems like the wrong place to live if you don't care for that sort of thing.
After having over 200 hours of tattooing on my body so far for , I was looking for a portrait artist for my next tattoo. I figured I could wait a long time on Kat's list (like all other high profile artists... not just her) or apply to the show and get tattooed that way. I submitted to be on the show and was getting my tattoo about a month and a half later.
Kat was so super sweet right from the start and the shop itself is amazing! She knew I wasn't there for the show but there for her tattooing. We shot the shit from all kinds of subjects and never was a dull moment. I am amazed at how light her touch is. It barely even felt like I was getting tattooed. She's a great tattooist first and foremost and a super, super sweet person as well. It's too bad that she gets this extra layer of expectation put on her just because she has a show.
My friend and I had a blast, the film crew did what film crews do and film the show. Kat was nothing less then super nice and I got a GREAT tattoo out of it, it looks just like the photo I brought in with me. It was an experience I won't forget and one of my favorite sessions I've ever had with a tattooist, oh... and it wasn't no $1,500 dollars.
People don't realize that all high profile tattoo artists have a very busy schedule and you can't just walk in and get tattooed. That's just reality. Some guys in San Francisco have a 3 year waiting list... and they don't have their own shows either. Most tattoo artists I go to have *at least* a month wait.
Kat does a great job doing what she does and like me, if you really want to get tattooed by her you'll find a way and when you do, you'll be very happy with what you get. But don't be expecting to bring some tribal stuff off the street and expect a tattoo in an hour. -
Review from JR H.
San Francisco, CA
10/11/2007
My review is far more about an artist at High Voltage than the shop.
Kim Saigh is amazing!! Her artwork is incredible and the time she takes with clients is second to none. Recently on vacation visiting a friend in San Francisco, Kim took time out of her schedule to tattoo me. I gave her an odd shaped patch on my arm that had yet to be tattooed and told her to do whatever she wants. Kim designed an amazing piece for me and was able to do it the next day.
Screw TV shows and the weird reviews by people that don't seem to understand anything about how a tattoo shop works. Kim is dope. She is a very nice and humble woman that enjoys and prides herself on what she does. Besides if you are getting a tattoo because of the place and not who's doing it, you're mental...get a clue!!!
If you are willing to wait and get on her list, I would HIGHLY recommend that you be tattooed by Kim Saigh!!!! -
Review from Maury M.
Lake Jackson, TX
3/15/2010
It's been a full year since I had work done at High Voltage, and I feel like I have to come in and balance-out some of the reviews here.
For starters, High Voltage Tattoo is a high profile tattoo shop with a lot of publicity due to "star-status" tattoo artists. Why on Earth would people think they could just waltz into the place on any given day and get a tattoo by Kat Von D or any of the other artists? Do people really think Kat's just sitting there, waiting for some business? Yes, High Voltage has staff that does walk-in tattoo art, but those people are NOT the big-name artists (but they ARE great artists).
That said, I put a request in for Hannah Aitchison (who is no longer at High Voltage, by the way), and several weeks later, I got a response. The way it works is that all the requests are vetted and ranked. At this time in life, my Dad was fighting cancer, and I wanted to get our Family Crest tattooed as a half-sleeve before he passed away. This was one of the main reasons -- if not THE reason -- I was able to get put on Hannah's schedule so quickly.
On the day of the appointment, we arrived and were promptly greeted in the mass of people, and I told them I was there to see Hannah. She had just finished another piece and was getting the station reset, then she let me (and my wife) walk behind the "Sacred Barrier."
Since this isn't a review of Hannah Aitchison, I won't go into how absolutely awesome she was/is, and how we all had a great time for the SIX hours I sat and got a full-color half-sleeve in one sitting. I *will* talk about High Voltage while I was there for 6 hours...
Everyone on staff was friendly and easy going. Most of the guys popped over several times to chat about the work being done, and asked how I was doing, etc., etc. To say the place was clean is an understatement -- everything behind the "Sacred Barrier" was spotless, and no hygiene red-flags were raised.
There's a constant flow of tourists and people coming in expecting to be tattooed, and the front desk people handled things wonderfully. I would be flipping out on everyone if I had to deal with all the crap have to.
Paying was simple and smooth.
If you're thinking about getting art done at High Voltage, the reality check is that you will NOT just pop in and get tattooed. If you want to just "walk-in," you'll more than likely be asked to come back in a couple/few hours -- but you'll get your art. If you think you can walk in and get work by Corey, Kat, or the other high-profile artists -- you WON'T. Submit your art request online like they say, and wait -- with fingers crossed.
If and when you are able to get work here, and if you are a good customer -- you'll have a great experience.
1 year later, my tattoo is wonderfully healed and vibrant, and I have people stopping me all the time to ask about it. I'm going back to Hannah in April 2010 for work on my other arm -- her talent was well worth the $1200 plus $300 tip and flight from Texas to L.A.! -
Review from Kaiulani K.
Honolulu, HI
10/1/2009
Talented artists, clean and comfortable environment, $200 minimum and very high prices, can get a bit busy when filming.
About two weeks ago stopped by just to visit the shop. My boyfriend joked about getting my tattoo done there. So out of curiosity we asked if there were any openings.
The lady at the front desk tried REALLY hard to get us in, and made sure everything worked best for us. She even offered a spot open later that night. I thought it was cool how helpful she was. She was really nice, thorough, and knew her shit. She gave me some great advice on artists, pricing, and what styles I should look into.
Came back the next day and met with Mojo, the super cool guy who did my tattoo. Downside: I was supposed to get it done at 2:00, didn't get in the seat until 4:30 or 5:00. It wasn't too bad waiting, it was interesting to watch them filming.
Mojo was very professional and nice, he made me feel really comfortable as did all the other artists around; some of them are featured in the show and some aren't, but they are all pretty down to earth. Mojo was very understanding about my knee-jerk flinching and my tightening up when he was going over the bone- he was not an uppity jerk about it. He made sure I had excatly what I wanted and did not pressure me in any way about the style. The final product is great and healed up without any problems.
It was rather pricey, however. I have a cluster of cherry blossoms on my foot, in color, about 3" long and 1.5" wide. It was $300, and I tipped Mojo $50. The shop has a $200 minimum and they price pretty high on top of that. If you want a tattoo they will require a $100 down payment in cash.
The only bad part is having to tip-toe around while the show is being filmed. You can't really talk or move around freely. But I expected that would happen.
If you are visiting as a tourist and just want to see the shop or buy some shirts, the people at the front desk are really helpful. Aside from getting ushered out, or instructed to stand somewhere else, or pretend to be interested in an artist's portfolio, the shop is really cool. It is clean, stylish, and has a large front area for visitors.
Even though the shop may get some flack for what it does with the show LA Ink, the artists are really talented, professional, and I never felt out of place or intimidated.Listed in: Services
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Review from Toonces C.
Los Angeles, CA
12/15/2008
I love my tattoo from Kat! She was very professional, a true artist. I had a minimal wait time and since i knew what i wanted, things went smoothly!
It was worth every penny, I mean how much would you pay for a Picasso or Rembrandt?? Well it's not that much for a tattoo here and this is one piece of art I will be wearing the rest of my life!!! I would gladly go back and get ANY artist there! -
Review from BudoLife s.
Los Angeles, CA
5/31/2010
Nate and John mac rule!!!!!
Got my sleeve by John and Recently a rib shot by Nate
these guys are good!!! -
Review from Michelle F.
Daly City, CA
7/23/2009
I should write a review for High Voltage since my profile picture is of me getting a tattoo there.
The place is kind of like a tourist spot, since everyone comes in, looks around & expects to see Kat Von D. The shop looks like how it does on t.v., bright pink walls & a lot of cool artwork.
I already had 6 tattoos & I wanted to make my last tattoo & my 7th one special...so when I found this place, I decided to just go for it! I walked in & was able to get my tattoo the same day. Dennis was my tattoo artist. He was very friendly and he did a great job on my tattoo. The people at the front desk are very sarcastic, but a bit rude. I think they were getting annoyed of all of the people who were looking for Kat Von D. One guy came in & said he wanted to get tattooed by her, but the front desk staff said she was "out of town."
As I was paying for my tattoo..guess who comes out of the back office- Kat Von D of course. =) I didn't expect to see her, but it was a great way to end my experience there. If you don't care about the price, I'd definitely recommend going to High Voltage. -
Review from Suzanne A.
San Francisco, CA
11/29/2011
I did not get tattoed here but I had to write a quick review after reading all these negative reviews! Me and some friends drove by one night after I first moved to LA andI excitingly told them that we had to stop and check it out! I was thinking about a new tattoo and was a fan of the show so I figured I would see if getting a tattoo here was even possible. It was right before closing, I had a few glassed of wine and I'm sure I was annoying but Greg at the counter did not make me feel annoying at all! He was so pleasant and I am sucker for good customer service! He gave me a rough estimate of $500 to cover an old tattoo and gave me advice on how to make it look better. I have to say that I am writing this review mostly because I am so annoyed that people complain about the price. I think $500 for even a small piece of art that will last forever is worth it! I am not a rich person and work hard for my money and feel that $500 for a tattoo by a great artist is well worth it. I may or not ever come back for a tattoo here but I just wanted to let fellow yelpers know that the customer service here is amazing!
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Review from Foxy L.
Los Angeles, CA
1/30/2008
First of all, I want to start by saying I'm absolutely happy with my tattoo and the service my artist provided. I got an add-on mountain as a background to a dragon that took about two hours by Jeff Ward, and I plan to go back to have more touch-ups and have more work done. If I were grading my artist alone, I would give this a five star rating.
The tattoo has healed wonderfully, no bleeding, and sharp attention to detail and colour. I chose my artist because I am a comic book fan and, in my own bias, he is from the Midwest. Down to earth and confident in his skill, I will be looking forward to doing more work with him in the near future.
I did not actually know this was a famous place until I arrived to schedule a consultation. My number one criticism is that they have no way of contacting the artist, except via email, so it requires a certain amount of persistence. I cannot speak for the more high profile artists, but I was able to have work scheduled and done on me in two days.
Be forewarned you will be tattooed out in the open, so if you are getting something done that is in a sensitive area you may want to speak to your artist. -
Review from Angel R.
Point of Rocks, MD
9/11/2009
As much as I would have liked to say that I got ink here i didn't . . . didn't plan ahead and make an appointment.
But I got a shirt and Michael. What a super sweet, friendly guy.
My husband was sad that Kat was nowhere to be seen. But on the plus side, neither was Aubrey. -
Review from Tanja F.
San Jose, CA
5/11/2010
I have been tattooed a few times before and I have a tattoo that I love, but it needed to be touched up. It was something like 16 years later and it was starting to look a bit blobish.
I was on vacation when I walked into the shop, in the off chance that I could get an appointment or that I could find someone that I meshed with. I was given an immediate consultation. First I spoke to the shop manager and then the artist, who I was immediately impressed with. His name is Kevin Lytle. He was there as a guest artist from Detroit. We discussed what I wanted, looked up pictures online to verify the details and he kept making sure that I was happy with the work, throughout the entire process. I was not only happy, I was blown away at how he kept the integrity of the original artwork but also had the ability to improve upon it. I thought I loved my tattoo before but WOW, he really took it over the top.
If Kevin decides that he wants to move to Hollywood, I would hope that High Voltage Tattoo decides to make him a permanent part of their team. He was very professional, articulate and talented. I would definitely choose Kevin as my artist again. -
Review from Chris G.
Los Angeles, CA
12/18/2007
Although my perspective is of someone who was behind the scenes as a cat sitter of LA Ink, and not of a High Voltage client, I can vouch my client friend is very happy with his tattoos here. And it's quicker than one might think to get tattooed here. It would be during the hours the film crew isn't here and definitely depending on the tattoo artist working.
The film crew was completing final scenes when my friend and I visited. My friend was a guest on the show earlier that day. Kat had just finished the singer of Alkaline Trio's "Hello Cleveland" tattoo and left for an interview. I was introduced to names but I spent most of the time minding one of the hairless cats, making sure it didn't escape from the dressing room. In other words, I closed the door if anyone happened to open it. All the while I was drinking blue Jones soda. -
Review from Celeste B.
San Jose, CA
6/8/2008
Because I lived in L.A. for much of my 20's I don't really care to do the tourist thing when I go down to visit.
However, I was intrigued that the old used furniture store on Fountain and La Brea is now KAT VON D's tattoo shop! I used to browse there and now it's a tourist hit spot. Nifty.
We went in just so that we could brag that this one time we came-we saw-we left. I wasn't surprised that Kat wasn't in the building as she was probably off gallavanting with Nikki Sixx or whatever. The desk dude was Sunset Strip snobby which is actually very much a myth because I got my nose pierced on the Strip and they were just the sweetest people ever. Notsomuch here. "It's a $200 minimum" he told me straight up as if he already new I would not be forking out that much for the xochitl flower I've been craving (I just don't know where I want to put it and that's the main reason for my delay.)
They do sell some really cool T-shirts with Kat Von D.'s image, but I'm really not a fan so I didn't purchase.
For those of you who are interested in getting inked by the lady herself it's $1000 minimum, up to a year wait and you have to go to some special website to fill out an application and submit pictures. -
Review from Keith E.
Venice, CA
8/12/2011
My fiance and I walked in 4 on a Saturday and the guy and girl at the front just stared at us like aliens. Told them we wanted to get a quick small tat to add to our collections. They said "ahh we don't really huh maybe later". Me: "so we can roll back later, what time is good"? The girl "ahh well umm just come back tomorrow". We just left. They were rude and lost sure shot business. No effort to help us out, I mean you are are a tattoo shop and we thought it was a normal occurrence to walk in and say yo we wanted to get some ink done. Apparently not! We won't be going back and that's a shame because we figured they had really good artists so even though we were walk-ins we would still get a nice piece.
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Review from Calen M.
Los Angeles, CA
5/24/2010
Lame ass sell-out tattoo shop, true Angelenos would not come to this place to get a tat. Blood sucking establishment possesses nothing else but LA attitude, I live in the freaking Hollywood and deal with bullshitters like 'em all the time. So folks if you are looking for a genuine tattoo shop, avoid this place at all costs.
