I have completely given up on staining wood. I have never been able
to make wood look any better than the way god grew it. I choose wood
that gives me the darkness of finish I am looking for without having
to apply stain.

I use walnut if I want a dark piece.
I use cherry if I want a medium piece (The older it gets the better it
looks!)
I use maple if I want a lite piece. (My favorite wood!)
I use oak if I want an ugly piece.