BobZ,

Thanks for the kind words. Yes, cherry can be a real pain. Its grain swirls around and comes to the surface of the board perpendicular to the face. That's how blotchy spots occur. And you can't tell if a blochy area will occur until you apply the first coat of finish. For the HT cabinet I used sanding sealer before applying thinned coats of poly. It reduced the blotches, but not completely. Now over the years I'll see if the ply and the solid stock turn color about the same.

I built the white oak cabinet below a few years ago and something like it might work for storing binders full of music and dvds. Its not very original, I used a Woodsmith plan and modified the doors and base to my liking. Like my HT cabinet, this one uses ply for the sides, top and bottom all edged in solid stock. No stain, just several coats of thinned poly to protect it but not obliterate the grain.