Mildly OT: Staining Wood, for sub enclosure under the dash Options

[Mockmaw]

Hi all, I'm hoping that there's a woodworker amongst us that can lend a little advice.

I'm almost finished with the sub enclosure that goes under my dash; it's based off of my old center deposit box which was falling apart. I'd like to stain the box as opposed to painting it a flat color. So I spent some time browsing at Home Depot today but after spending 45 minutes trying to get a little assistance/advice, I stormed out frustrated.

It seems like the process involves an initial pre-treatment (or conditioning), then the stain, then a sealer or protective layer. Are there specific brands of each component that I should be looking for? The Home Depot here in Emeryville basically only carries Minwax, which has a so-so reputation on usenet. Ahh, forgot to mention that I want to stain it black.

The box is sanded and ready to go, just want to make sure I'm completely ready and informed before I jump into this. What're the differences between water and oil-based stains? As I asked above, are there specific brands that I should use? What other kinds of things should I know before I start this process?

Thanks in advance! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mueba.gif)