I bought a classical guitar about five years ago, and I don't play that often, but I take it out from time to time. Over the past month I've noticed that the strings go out of tune quickly, especially the bass ones. Could it be a problem with the tuning pegs, or do I need to change the strings?
The problem isn't necessarily with the tuning pegs - it's often a combination of factors. First thing I'd recommend is changing the strings, especially if they haven't been replaced in a month or two; old strings don't hold their tuning as well and lose their tone. At the same time, check if the neck has warped (a guitar sitting in a room for five years can shift with humidity changes), and make sure the tuning pegs are tightened properly - sometimes they just start getting loose. If the guitar keeps going out of tune after you put on new strings, then it makes sense to take it to a technician to have the neck and body inspected.
A classical guitar needs regular tuning even when you're not playing it - this is important because the wood constantly changes tension. If it sat untouched for a month, the strings could have lost their elasticity and started drifting more than before. This especially applies to the bass strings - they're thicker and under greater tension.
Start with the basics: replace all the strings completely and tune the guitar properly (it's better to use a tuner rather than tuning by ear). After replacement, it might go out of tune more frequently during the first week - that's normal, new strings stabilize over time. If the problem persists even after that, then check the tuning pegs: try to observe whether they turn with play or grip the string loosely. Play means when the mechanism moves back and forth with a gap - then the pegs need to be replaced or tightened.
One more thing - check if the guitar is damaged. If it sat for a long time in an unheated room or in the sun, the wood could have warped, and that affects everything: both the tension and the sound. But start with the strings first - that's the cheapest and most logical solution.
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