Stain is made up of various combinations of dyes and pigments. The exact ingredient blend depends on the color. Pigments basically stay on the surface and dyes penetrate but do not go far into the wood. It is possible to bleach the dye to remove that part of the color and it is possible to sand to remove the color. The problem with sanding is that you may have to remove enough wood that you also get beneath the top layer of plywood or you lose defination on carved areas or edges. The problem with bleaching is that it will be messy and can be a bit dangerous since you will be using fairly strong chemicals. You do have to remove the clear surface finish to do any of this and you MAY lose a bit of the color (pigment) when you strip the surface. Personally, with your color situation, I would not do it.
Henry in MI
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