I have n offer of a 225 set up but the guy painted the stand and canopy an ugle doo doo brown. trying to see if i still want it and how i could make it look good.
No reason you couldn't paint it. I need to refinish my 125 stand at some point, now that you mention it--horrible, goopy, glossy black.
What's really important is the tank and structure of the stand.
you can sand or strip off whatever paint they used on the stand. As stated, its the structure that counts. lastly, you may be able to swap out the outer skin entirely if you find the wood used is sub par.
see two links below for 2 different stain treatments.