Yes, the baseboard is 4 pieces mitered together with biscuits for strength. We tried gluing strips together in two layers with the grain rotated 90degrees, but the warped like crazy and they were a little weak. This design has been in varying humidity for about 6 months or so and is as flat as the day it was complete. It is also very strong. I am a big but short man and I propped one end up on a 2x4 and stood in the middle. It is way too strong.
Yes, that is FAS Cherry. We use Cherry because it is a renewable resource firstly and secondly because it is one of the most dimensionally stable woods there is. It does not have the strength of Rosewood, but it is also about 1/4 the weight.