I will then tune it to traditional...
...Since as Strumelia says, it is not necessarily a collectable, for the enhancements I have in mind it will need to be darkened some. This is a little more that a restoration but an enhancement to a restoration. Still beautiful and still itself, but with a little added art. Popular, now I know what the back is. Just couldn't remember. Ok will be tuned traditional, 4 string galax.
Other practical problems with converting/selling this Galax dulcimer into a baritone: First, people looking for a baritone mountain dulcimer usually don't want wooden tuning pegs . Also, most people looking for a baritone dulcimer will be chord style players , and this Galax is a real traditional wooden pegged dulcimer with no 6.5 fret. It's daunting to play a diatonically fretted dulcimer in chord style without a 6.5 fret. Baritone players are not going to want to retune in order to play various tunes. They want to stick with standard baritone tunings. And to play chord style in typical baritone tuning means you'll need that 6.5 fret.
Though not a precious museum antique, this is nonetheless a lovely traditional vintage Galax dulcimer (and such beautiful naturally blonde wood! ) though it seems to lack a double back. There is a substantial market for traditional Galaxes. It would be a bit odd to market this as a "Galax Baritone" since Galax dulcimers weren't made as baritones. There is also a good market for baritone dulcimers, but most folks who know dulcimers and are looking for a baritone dulcimer will avoid a wood peg dulcimer without a 6.5 fret that is obviously a Galax dulcimer. They'd want a more modern large scale dulcimer with 6.5 and 13.5 frets, and geared tuners.
And if for no other reason... I'm pretty sure you would get a better price selling this as a traditional restored Galax and not a concocted Barilax. (sounds like a Barium enema, hahah). If someone who loves vintage instruments did buy it, they'd probably immediately turn it back to a traditional Galax stringing anyway. Why not bring out its own natural beauty and appeal in what it is? Just my two cents.
Do take another look at the gorgeous droolyworthy Galaxes shown on Ben Seymour's site. They are so wonderful! I'm extremely lucky to have a custom Galax made by Ben. But this Delser has heaps and heaps of charm, especially if you let the beauty of that blonde chestnutty-poplary wood come through. 
Nathina said; "I am not adverse to tuning the galax to traditional but it will be for sale."
Which is precisely the reason why I would not change it: People looking to buy are going to expect a Galax style instrument to be set up for Galax play.
IMHO you should be "restoring" an instrument, not making it into something it isn't.
Most modern players won't look at that dulcimer and say "Ah ha! A Baritone". They're going to see a traditional style instrument.
As far as stains -- why not let the beauty of the wood come through -- use Tung oil or Boiled Linseed Oil or even satin or matte Urethane and skip coloring the wood.
If i were to retrieve the thread you deleted, then there'd be two. Since you have added a bunch of stuff to this new one, it creates a dilemma. Which thread would you want to keep? I could lock this new thread and then you could copy/paste the new posts from this thread to the old thread and I could then delete this one. Wanna try that?
I accidentally deleted the Post on repairing the Desler and since I don't know if it can be retrieved I'll start over.
Strumelia: you asked what tuning AEA, string spacing, the same as everything else.
Dusty: the depth is this instrument makes me think it would be a good baritone. 4 strings tuned to AEAa. Although I still may try to see what it sounds like in CCCc and AAAa. This one when finished will be going up for sale. The public sadly cannot recognize a good dulcimer from a bad, thus the rapid sales currently of Horas and Apple Creeks. The tend to avoid wooden tuning pegs for Starite tuners or Planetary ones. Right now the push seems to be for baritones. Ron Gibson has started to sell baritones in one of his designs, Folkcraft as in the Utube, and many others. Nothing much really being done, (although it is suppose to be a deeper soundbox, extra support if needed etc.) I might leave it up to the public as to which tuning they want when they buy it.
Ken: I am not adverse to tuning the galax to traditional but it will be for sale. This is not one I consider keeping. It would lend itself well to AEAa. But that is still off a ways. Next to finish the stripping, and raise the grain for staining. It has now been reshaped and the unit is again solid, no holes or dings. What would you suggest as to the stain dark or red top? dark Fret board, back? sides? neck and head as well as block will be walnut, and I will two tone the strum hollow. Fretboard is chestnut, top is cedar, back is ? sides are same as back.
By the way I will be posting, once retouched and cleaned an HA Fleming 1970. This unit is beautiful and well above some of his other ones. Not sure why the difference, but the workmanship is much better than I have seen.
SORRY all about the erase. If it can be retrieved please do so.
