Professional tattoo artist, Gabriel Godinez, reviews Bishop Rotary’s latest tattoo machine and collaboration with Critical Tattoo – the Power Wand.
Video Transcript:
Hey everyone, my name is gabriel and i’m a black and grey tattooer out of san diego california. And if you clicked on this channel and this video specifically, it’s probably because you’ve been waiting patiently for me to make a video review of the power wand. And i finally am ready for that. I wanted to make sure i had enough time with this machine before giving you guys my opinion. I didn’t want to just do an unboxing or first impressions.
I want to give you my honest feedback on this machine, so i’m ready to do that and if you guys are ready, let’s go to get started: [, Music, ], [, Music, ], all right guys. So before we get started, i just do have to let you know that i am a bishop rotary, sponsored artist. I have been for about a year and a half almost two years now, but with that being said, i’ve been using bishop products for about 10 years. Now um i’ve been buying it with my own money and it’s something that i’ve chosen to do and it’s something that i’ll continue to use because i think they make an awesome product. If i didn’t like them, i probably wouldn’t be using them so take that for whatever it’s worth um, i also have worked with other companies, and i um you know have my other favorites.
But let’s just make this video about the power wand and then we’ll go from there now, starting off with pros and cons. Really there aren’t too many of either between this and the standard wand machine. I would say that the con that i would bring up is pretty much also a pro, and what i mean by that is the price. It’S thirteen hundred dollars for this package. It’S a very expensive machine.
I get it not. Everyone could afford this now with that being said, if you are making a transition over to wireless machines or if you’re, looking for a bishop rotary machine to start with you’re going to end up paying a pretty penny, whether it’s right now or over time. But it’s something that you’re investing yourself in and if it’s going to give you a better product at the end, as far as what you can tattoo – and you know your efficiency, then i think it’s worth it now. If you were to go ahead and buy a wand by itself right now, it’s about 650. If you were to buy both of these batteries, a small and a large from critical it’s about 500 bucks, and then you add the charging port, it’s another 50 bucks, and then you get an rca cord, it’s about 30 bucks and then you just have a nice Little case that carries it all, which is you know, 20 bucks you’re all in about 1200 and something dollars.
So this package runs for 12.99 on the bishop website. I think it’s a smart investment if you’re making the transition. However, if you already have a bishop rotary wand, would you say that it’s worth switching, i wouldn’t. I would say that it’s much better just go ahead and keep what you have if it’s working for you, the only difference would be.
If you are unhappy with the batteries. I’D say: maybe try out the critical batteries. This does come with two batteries, and one of them is gon na, be a smaller one and one’s gon na be a larger one. I’Ve tried both batteries out, i will say as far as the runtime i’m not concerned at all, i run about five to five and a half hour days and even with the small battery, i’ve never run out of charge, not once i do charge them the night Ahead and when i start my day, they don’t even always have a full battery, but i usually make it you know: i’ve always actually always painted through a day without having to recharge them in the middle or switch out batteries. Now i did start off for a few months only using the small battery, and i wanted to give that one a fair chance and you know, make the transition to the larger one.
When i was ready, i will say with the small one one of the gripes that i do have is that i have trouble when i press the power button, getting it to start and stop it’s a very small button and i think a lot of it has To do with the way that i wrap my machine so if you’re using the small battery – and you have one right now – i’d love to hear your feedback on. If you have this problem and if you don’t, maybe something that you’re doing to avoid it now with the large battery, it has a much larger start and stop button, and i haven’t had any problems with that. The other thing i like about the large battery is that it’s a little bit more balanced in my hand. I started tattooing about 12 years ago with coil machines when they were really heavy and that’s just what i got used to so if you are very sensitive when it comes to the weight that your your hand is supporting, i think the small battery is amazing. It is insanely light so much to a point where it actually feels too light in my hand, and i prefer the large battery now with that being said, even the large battery on it is still substantially lighter than most machines.
It’S just a little bit more weight than the small battery and with the power button you know little problem that i’m having i i do prefer the large one um now with that being said, i don’t think runtime is going to be a concern and i would Probably bring both batteries with me everywhere, so now the nice little pro that this thing has, apart from it being expensive in a way that’s efficient, because if you’re buying all this together, it is a nice thing to have it all as a package. Not only that, but to have batteries that are proprietary, meaning they were built for this machine by critical, which is an amazing company and the fact that they’re even doing this collab is just awesome. So having a battery, that’s built into the machine really helps with the leverage point of it. It really, you know, helps it be more ergonomic and just honestly helps it run the way it’s meant to run from the design of this. Do i think it’s going to run any better than better than a traditional bishop one?
I don’t think it’s gon na unless you’re using cheap batteries, if you’re already using high quality batteries. I think that you’re gon na be running pretty similar, but i do think that it’s a much more convenient package if you haven’t made the purchase yet as far as bishop rotary wands in general, whether it’s the power one or the traditional one. I’D say that the packer and the shader are my favorite and i transition between both of those pretty often as to which one, i think is the better um. And that actually brings me to the video that i’m going to be coming out with soon, which is more geared towards. Why do we even just use one machine to start with when i first started, we had about five machines on different stations.
Now we didn’t have cartridges back then, but every machine had a purpose, so i want to go back and visit that a little bit more and i’ve talked to other fellow artists that are doing something similar. So i’m excited to give you guys the input on that. If that’s a video that you want to see, put it down in the comments below that will be one of the choices moving forward now getting back to this power one. Do i think this machine is worth thirteen hundred dollars? Yes, do i think this machine is for everyone?
Potentially, yes, um. You know. I’Ve talked about the packer and the shader before and which one you know is a little bit more for one person versus the other. I can do every tattoo that i need to do with both machines. The packer is definitely a little bit of a darker running machine when i tattoo, with that it stays a little bit darker than it does with the shader.
Not the shader doesn’t stay dark it. Just puts it in a little bit different, there’s a little more bite because it is a longer stroke. You do get a little bit more peppery than you do with the short one. But with that being said, when i do hair texture with a packer, i get a much more put in result with the shader. I do have to revisit that tattoo and – and maybe maybe do a little bit more than i would do with the packer.
However, they’re both just amazing machines – um, i don’t know if i would use any other machines right now, except for what i’m doing right now is also revisiting some old machines. So i’ll have a video coming out on some of the older machines that i used to use, and that is also one of the options you can choose from too now. All in all, i think it’s an awesome machine. I think it’s an amazing package coming with one small battery, a large battery, a charging port and an adapter for an rca plug that i’ve never actually seen any other machine have there might be out there, but i haven’t seen it having all that in one package. Is amazingly convenient not only that, but the base for the battery charger is magnetic, so you can slap that thing on next to your station and just not lose track of it or worry about it getting in the way, which is a huge pro to me.
I know it’s an expensive machine. Yes, i did get mine for free, full disclosure. Do i get paid for this video? No. Did they get to watch this video before i put it out nope, and would i continue to use this machine if i didn’t get it for free yep, because i think you got to invest yourself as artist.
So if you invest in yourself when it comes to the machines, the needles that you’re, using which the brands i would recommend, are bishop rotary, obviously cheyenne and quadrant, making little investments like that. They really speak a lot about your character and you know just how much you care about your product and i care a lot about my product. So much to the point that if i find a machine, that’s running better than my bishop, rotaries i’ll make the switch. Because, at the end of the day, i want to make sure i put a quality tattoo out for my clients now. Is there anything else to see on this machine?
Not really it’s pretty straightforward i’ll make another video review of the wands in general and how i think they run and which one i would probably choose given which situation um. Just to give you some advice. If you’re, looking for more smooth black and gray i’d go with the shader, if you wanted something a little bit more textured or you’re using it to line into also maybe put some solid colored in i’d, probably go with the packer overall, you can’t go wrong with Either i think that it’s a machine that really has set a precedence for machines moving forward. Take that for what it’s worth. I hope you guys are happy with this video.
I will try to make an update if i see any problems with it, but i’m looking forward to all these other videos and if you are too make sure you choose a video down in the comments so so far we have revisiting all the machines and why Do we use more than why do we only use one machine and we’ll just go ahead and we’ll say a day in the life of, so those are your three videos to choose from go ahead and pick one, and i will make the next video in the Next, two weeks, i’m looking forward to posting that, for you guys, i hope you guys are doing great thanks. So much that’s good, but i don’t feel perky
