Thanks, Erik & Okie.
I like the color, but as I mentioned before, it's a throw of the dice for me with the light brown. Most of the time they come out okay, but once in awhile it's got a mind of its own.
I will keep the "black" solution in mind for the next dud...if the brown's too splotchy, I'll drop it in the black dye.
Problem solved. Sorta.