MrAnderson wrote:

I love and hate cherry. If you've ever tried to put a dark stain on
cherry you know what I mean. It doesn't receive stain evenly. After
trying to get that aged dark look via lye, I gave up and went "natural"
with the kitchen cabinets. A few years later, I made a fireplace
mantel and went for that stained rich cherry finish using a gel-based
stain. I was aiming for perfection and the result was okay, but
this had to be one of the most aggravating finishing experiences I've
ever had.

Any blotch prone wood is amenable to spraying your dye with an HVLP. No
blotching. Any depth of color you want.

Dave