Hi,
Leather dye has worked very well for me, especially on whitewoods, like hickory, ash, and maple. You can mix browns and blacks to come up with your own custom colors. I also like it for doing color fading, like dark to light, etc. You can apply the dye, and work it with steel wool to create a fading effect. Make sure the wood is clean... no oil or stains, or the dye will not penetrate, leaving a lighter blotch. Leather dye dries quickly, and will take whatever finish you want to apply on top.