My mom and I wanted matching tattoos and we chose to check out Stay Gold. When we walked in the…read moreenvironment is welcoming. Beautiful floors, art work on the walls from all of the artists and giant comfy couches to wait on. We were instantly warmly greeted by the two artists working. Pablo came to speak with us about what we wanted. We sent him some pictures and he began working on the drawing. Once he was done we asked for adjustments and he happily sketched those out in front of us. He was kind and patient with us while we made sure it was exactly what we wanted. He worked with us on placement and even mirrored the tattoos because we got them on different arms. We watched him get his station set up with sterile products and the entire time he did our tattoos he was friendly and professional. We had a great experience. They came out amazing and we couldn't be happier. I would recommend this place if you're shopping around for a new tattoo spot. They're located by Ace and it's a hidden underground parking spot off of lomas. Go check them out. I will note that some artists only take cash, so get the details squared away before you get started. Thank you to Pablo for giving us exactly what we wanted.

I love this place I highly recommend…read more Clean, assiduous, detail oriented, fun, intelligent, and compassionate tattoo artists

Great spot! Super…read moreprofessional and detail oriented. All the artists are experienced and work to help you achieve your vision.

Got my first tattoo here yesterday. Really clean place, professional and friendly team…read more Reina - a guest artist - did a great job with my small easy tattoo! She was friendly, helpful, and made me feel at ease through the process. I came in as a walk in and they were able to fit me in on short notice when i called them to check for availability, and i really appreciated that. If i'm ever feeling like i need another tattoo and i'm in the Albuquerque area this will definitely be my first stop!

I got a few small tattoos from Ray. He was nice enough, but he didn't disinfect my skin before…read morestarting, which I've never experienced before (and I have lots of tattoos), so they didn't heal super well. The one on my arm didn't come out nicely at all (the lines are wobbly and the shading looks amateurish), and considering the final quality I feel like I was way overcharged. I reached out to him to see if I could schedule a touch up, which he'd offered to do during my appointment, and he never responded--so now I'm paying another artist to basically fix this tattoo. Also, when I went in, he and another male tattoo artist were shooting the shit in a way that made me sort of uncomfortable as the only woman in the room (and they didn't stop at any point, considering how it might make a customer feel). Overall, just weird and unprofessional vibes from this place and I wouldn't recommend them.

Have your design ready before you come thru!!! Lots of artwork in the design books located atop…read morethe surfboard/table, but it can be confusing & time consuming (as you peruse the designs). One of few places in the area that takes walk-in clients. Seem strange to me, consider the overwhelming number of tattoo parlors & number of tatted up folks, but hey that's the law of the land. At any rate, I journeyed in to get a tattoo & was appointed to Abe to get me inked up. He did a good job & I must admit although there's a needle carving in my skin, he was gentle enough & allowed me time to make the adjustments for the pain. I was very tense, but his gentle hands helped me to relax during the process; he had a borderline sensuous touch that, ehhhhhhh ok I'll keep it clean, that made relaxing much easier. Seems like they charge more by the hour & not necessary the size of the tattoo, as is in some other places; go figure, tomato, tomato. After the art work was completed, there was a minor adjustment to be made, but that was done a week later to allow for scarring etc. But once that issue was corrected, all was good in the hood.

Once again, my tattoo artist Carlos gives me a unique and custom tattoo…read more So comforting when you have an an idea to put art on your body that you can be happy with...after all it's permanent. Archetype tattoo makes you feel at home and like family, making sure your happy from beginning to end with your tattoo.

I have nothing but good words to say about this shop, the owner Ben, and my artist, Aldo Gallegos…read more I first met Aldo several years ago when he took over on a tattoo I wasn't able to get finished by the original artist for various reasons. The work that was originally done was just fine, but Aldo really made the character shine in a way I didn't think possible. My expectations were blown out of the water and I was amazed by the improvements he made. Fast forward to 2024, and I came to him with a a few references, an illustrative idea, and a lot of rambling details I hoped he could include. Once again, he was able to take my thoughts and run with them to create a gorgeous illustration. We had a "clarity consultation", something I think every artist should do, to hammer out details and go over any changes I might want made to the original design. I was able to watch his process, see his color-theory (unmatched!) in action, and okay the final design. Aldo's application to skin is flawless, he takes the time needed to make a beautiful piece of art that will stick around for decades to come. Also, he uses Saniderm, which speeds up the healing process immensely. It is clear Aldo takes great pride in what he does, and you can only benefit from getting work done by him. I love showing off the piece and letting people know where I got it. It is only a bonus that he is kind and attentive, something that can lack in the tattoo community. It reflects on the tattoo shop and the owner, Ben, that there is clearly a carefully-cultivated team of professionals at Archetype. The vibe is laid-back but professional and everyone is friendly and accommodating. I will 100% be returning to Archetype, and Aldo, for my next tattoo.

Excellent craft and attention to detail. Friendly and helpful staff. Clean space. Will be back.read more

This is the best tattoo experience I have ever had. I'm not a tattoo expert by any means, but over…read morethe years I've collected five or six of them from various artists in various shops around the US. This is by far my favorite. The shop is very nice, flexible hours, nice people working there, plenty of great art on the walls to inspire you. But what made this a stand out experience was Jazzy, the artist who did my tattoo. For a very reasonable price, Jazzy took my little concept drawing, listened to me closely while I explained where I was trying to go with it, then whipped up a design that was EXACTLY what I wanted, in her own beautiful style. Jazzy has a really soothing, laid back vibe to her that made me totally comfortable, and she has a very nice, light touch with the needle too. She gave me a really, really well done tattoo, that looked incredible right from day one. I had thought maybe I was gonna be done getting tattoos because, for me at least, the experience of finding an artist I like and am comfortable with, is often more trouble than its worth. Now I can't wait to get my next tattoo! Thank you Jazzy!!! I am SO happy with my Sweet Bee!

True Grit is awesome! There's a great vibe in the place that makes you feel really comfortable…read moreandat home. Emerald did my latest tat, and it came out perfect. I highly recommend True Grit, the artists are so talented!

Absolutely amazing experience. From the second we walked in, the vibe inside was super cool laid…read moreback, welcoming, and honestly one of the most relaxing tattoo shop atmospheres I've ever been in. Everyone there was so funny and easy to talk to, which made the whole experience even better. I LOVE the tattoo I got. They took my original design idea and completely ran with it in the best way possible, turning it into something even better than I imagined while still keeping my vision intact. You can tell they genuinely care about their work and their clients. 10/10 recommend to anyone visiting New Mexico or looking for a tattoo out here. I probably won't be back in NM anytime soon, but if I was, I'd absolutely come back here.

I went with two of my cousins for "cousin tattoos," and they were able to fit us in on a Monday…read moreafternoon. The outside of the shop looked a bit shady, but the inside is great! I'm glad we didn't judge the book by its cover. Bianca did our teeny hearts on our ankles to match. She was so great, and one of my cousins had never had any tattoos before, but Bianca made it so easy for her. She had excellent "bedside manner," if you will, and was really fun to talk to during our time with her. Her artwork in her studio room was all really beautiful to look at too! We paid $60 each, since the shop has a $60 minimum shop fee. I don't live in NM, but I think I would go back to her again to get more stuff done.

You know how everybody has one shitty tattoo? I got mine here. I got mine done by a guy named…read moreJohnny. It's simple script, but somehow it looks awful. I had to get it touched up 5 times. Yes, 5 TIMES, and it still looks blotchy and grey in some parts. The 4th time I went in, Johnny decided that he didn't like the way the "j" looked and just freehanded over it. So now it looks like balls. Thanks. I'm very upset and frankly, pretty embarrassed of my first tattoo. Johnny was very kind and welcoming, which was the only good part of this experience. If I didn't live on the other side of the country now I would go back in and talk to the manager about getting a more experienced artist to fix this. However, my $100 back for this awful tattoo would be awesome. Although, I'm not expecting it. Not from this place.

Great quality and people and love the vibe & my tattoo! Thanks Dano for the great work!read more

Robert Perea here! I get all my tattoo work done by Dano Everette of Route 66 Fine Line Tattoo! the…read moretattoo work he has done on my arms has won 1st place in black and grey realism category 2025! tat shop has been here in Albuquerque since 1987! very clean, fun and friendly atmosphere! Don't miss out on your next fine line tattoo!! You will not regret your decision!

My girlfriend and I both went to get our ears pierced, I wanted an earlobe and upper earlobe…read morepiercing on one ear and she wanted upper earlobe piercings on both ears. We were able to walk in and both get pierced in less than an hour, but they have an online appointment system if you want to schedule ahead of time. Sara was friendly and helped us choose from their variety of options for jewelry, and took the time to quote us. The piercings cost $25 total for both ears and the jewelry ranged in price from about $35 for 2 captive bead rings to about $130 for 2 gold ball studs. Vern is the head piercer and was so knowledgeable yet respectful to us. I had never got my ears pierced before, so I was a little nervous, but Vern explained everything as he was working and even coached breathing during the piercing. The location has a sofa and well decorated interior, and the piercing room resembles a doctor's office, with more stylish decor. Vern wore gloves and disinfected all equipment in an autoclave. He also used sharp, clean needles and not a piercing gun. We were both very happy with the results and aftercare instructions, and all our questions were answered!

Everyone was very sweet :3 Phil did a great job on my nipple piercings. Hip hip hooray :Dread more

Everything went well! I was with Johnny and we did a fairly simple tattoo of the Canadian flag, but…read morehe nailed it and he kept me calm and the atmosphere at the parlor is amazing and relaxing. If you're in Albuquerque and you need a tattoo go find Johnny at aesthetic Inc.

I am so happy with my Tattoo; Johnny did an amazing job. I sent him a few pictures of what I was…read morethinking, and then he turned it into his own work, and I couldn't be happier. It looks better than what I had envisioned. The shop was amazing; everything was extremely clean and well-kept, and the atmosphere was very chill and comfortable. I'm already planning my next tattoo.