Amateur in need of advice....

Hi all! I am looking for a little advice on how to stain a table darker. I'm purchasing this table for $60 off Craigslist. The lady isn't sure what kind of wood it is, she said knotty pine. I would like to take the top from a light wood, to a dark wood. The legs and apron I will be painting black, or I may stain the whole thing dark. Any suggestions on where to start?

Table now:
http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r.../CIMG19446.jpg

Table the stain I would like it to be:
http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r...setable435.jpg

depends on how you ar staining it as you can get combined varnish stains or just stains which you varnish/laquer over later (or oil over?).

Which you use will depend upon what colours are available and more importantly what the table has already been sealed with.

Water based stains obviously will not soak through varnish, waxes, oiled surfaces, or glue residue. Combined varnish stains can overcome some of these problems but do not work for all situations. And some stains are specified for use only with specific varnishes or laquers. Best to find a stain you like and stay within that manufacturers guidelines.

Once you figure out what to use I'd be finding an area underneath the table out of sight and first try a little patch to see how it looks.