I used a little Minwax Early American stain to darken the wood a bit. I find this stain works well to gently darken most woods and works great to get a deep, rich red color out of Padauk. Sometimes the orange look of padauk looks good but if you want more of a red look, try adding a little of this stain to the blank (and let it dry a few minutes) just before you do the CA finish.
Jason