Harlanm,
I did this built in a few years ago in that finish and it had it's hidden problems for sure. I can only say it's no different than trying to keep the scratches or scuffs on a brand new black car from showing up..
The customer wanted the job done in mahogany so that's what I used (red) After a number of other type stains the one that finally came through with a beautiful deep dark brown tone was an Olympic stain called dark ebony. There was so much pigment in the bottom of those cans it actually looked like watered down dark brown paint. The plus side of that was that it was a one coat and done finish.
I top coated it with a satin poly and that's where the problems began. You see the large triple window in the picture? That light brought out every little flaw in the finish that couldn't be seen in the shop as I was building it. We're not talking huge flaws, but ones that would bother me. It took me a more time than I'd like to admit to touch-up that finish but it was a lesson learned.
The only other thing that would have given it that rich of a tone would be the dyes that cabinetman mentioned. Some times you luck out with the cheapo homecenter brands..:yes: