Into The Groove: What do you think of the Swingstar drum kit?
John Dolmayan: I think it's really swinging! I had it set up pretty much like my kit, so it was really comfortable. It has a really good balance of the toms, which is always the case with Tama. And the kick is booming!
Into The Groove: How do you like the sound of the mahogany used in the Swingstar drums?
John Dolmayan: It has a sound that you can mess around with to get the tone that you want. If you want a higher tone, you can achieve that, and you can also tune it down a little to get rich, lower tone.
Into The Groove: What do you think of the 5.5x14 metal snare that comes with the set?
John Dolmayan: I think it sounds good. I think if you put a wide snare underneath that thing, a 42-strand, it would sound amazing!
Into The Groove: What do you think of the quality of the hardware that comes with the Swingstar drum set?
John Dolmayan: Well, I think that all the hardware in general including the hi-hat stand, the kick pedal, the snare stand and the cymbal stands all look and feel very durable. They look like they will withstand the test of time. Compared to what I started with when I was a kid, this is ten times better. I wish I had an opportunity to buy something like this, but at that time, it just wasn't available.
Into The Groove: You are known as a powerhouse drummer. Do you think the Swingstar would hold up to your playing?
John Dolmayan: When it comes to durability, it's all about the hardware and the mounting system, which is incredibly solid on the Swingstar kit. Tama always had very solid hardware, but this is amazing for a kit in this price range.
Into The Groove: How does it compare to your very first drum set?
John Dolmayan: It's far better than my first drum set. My first drum set was a really cheap kit. It wasn't very stable. This is a very stable kit. The hardware is strong. It holds the drum steady, even with a hard-hitter such as myself.
Into The Groove: Is there anything you'd like to add?
John Dolmayan: It's pretty close to the higher end kits. I think it's pretty cool because it's affordable, but you don't have to give up the quality.