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Candlebox

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Far Behind - Guitar Lesson

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Band Overview

Candlebox emerged from Seattle in 1991, riding the same grunge wave as Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains, but carving out a distinct niche with a more melodic, blues-inflected approach to post-grunge rock. Their self-titled debut album in 1993 became a massive commercial success, eventually selling over four million copies. While they were sometimes overshadowed by their heavier Seattle peers, Candlebox offered something different for guitarists: a blend of acoustic sensitivity, Classic Rock phrasing, and grungy crunch that made their songs incredibly satisfying to play and more approachable than a lot of the era's output. Guitarist Peter Klett is the engine behind Candlebox's sound, and he deserves far more recognition than he typically receives. Klett's playing draws from a deep well of classic rock and blues influence, filtered through the raw energy of the early 1990s Seattle scene. His riffs sit in a sweet spot between heavy and melodic, often built on open-string voicings and tasteful intervallic choices rather than brute-force power chords. His lead work is expressive without being flashy, leaning on smooth vibrato, pentatonic runs with bluesy bends, and a keen sense of dynamics. He knows when to dig in and when to pull back, which is a hallmark of a mature guitarist. For guitarists learning real songs, Candlebox is an excellent entry point into the post-grunge world. Most of their material sits in the intermediate range of difficulty. You will encounter a mix of clean arpeggiated passages, crunchy rhythm work with palm-muting, and lead lines that demand good vibrato control and accurate bending. Songs like "Far Behind" are perfect for developing your ability to transition between clean and driven tones, and for working on dynamic strumming. If you can nail the feel of a Candlebox song, you are building skills that translate directly to a huge catalog of 1990s rock and beyond.

What Makes Candlebox Essential for Guitar Players

Peter Klett frequently uses open-string voicings and suspended chord shapes to create a ringing, atmospheric quality in rhythm parts. This approach gives Candlebox songs a wider, more textured feel compared to standard barre chord grunge riffs.
His lead playing is rooted in the minor pentatonic and blues scales, but he often adds tasteful chromatic passing tones and major-scale colors. His bends are deliberate and well-pitched, making him a great model for guitarists working on intonation during bends.
Dynamic control is central to Candlebox's guitar sound. Many songs shift between soft, clean-toned verses and hard-hitting distorted choruses. Practicing these transitions will sharpen your right-hand control and your ability to manage volume and gain on the fly.
Klett's vibrato is smooth and controlled, closer to a classic rock style than the aggressive wide vibrato of many grunge players. Studying his phrasing is a great way to develop a refined, expressive vibrato technique.
Palm-muting plays a key role in Candlebox's heavier sections, often used to create a tight, percussive rhythm before opening up into ringing power chords. This contrast between muted and open strumming is a fundamental skill for any rock guitarist.

Did You Know?

Peter Klett tracked much of the first Candlebox album using a Les Paul through a Marshall, going for a warm, fat tone that separated them from the more scooped, high-gain sounds dominating Seattle at the time.

Candlebox's self-titled debut was one of the best-selling albums of 1994, yet the band was famously snubbed by much of the Seattle music community, who saw them as too polished and commercial compared to Nirvana or Mudhoney.

The clean guitar tone on "Far Behind" uses a subtle chorus effect that gives the arpeggiated intro its shimmering, wide quality. It is a great example of how a simple effect can define the mood of an entire song.

Klett often tuned to standard E tuning rather than dropping down to D or lower, which was unusual for a band in the Seattle grunge scene. This kept his riffs bright and punchy.

During live performances in the 1990s, Klett was known for using relatively few pedals, preferring to get his overdrive from his amp and relying on his guitar's volume knob for clean-to-dirty transitions.

The band reunited in 2006 after a hiatus and has continued to release albums, with Klett's guitar tone evolving to incorporate more modern gain structures while retaining that signature melodic blues-rock approach.

Essential Albums for Guitarists

Candlebox 1993

This is the essential Candlebox album for guitarists. "Far Behind" teaches clean-to-distorted dynamic control and arpeggiated chord work. "You" features a killer blues-rock riff and expressive lead bending. "Cover Me" and "No Sense" showcase Klett's ability to craft melodic, open-voiced rhythm parts that sound great on a single guitar.

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Lucy 1995

The sophomore album pushed Klett's playing into heavier and more experimental territory. "Simple Lessons" has a gritty, syncopated riff that is great for tightening up your alternate picking. "Understanding" explores layered clean tones and more complex chord voicings, making it ideal for intermediate players looking to expand their harmonic vocabulary.

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Into the Sun 2008

The comeback album showed a more mature Candlebox with thick, modern production. "Stand" and "Breathe Me In" feature chunky rhythm parts with tight palm-muting and powerful open-chord transitions. It is a solid album for guitarists who want to practice heavier post-grunge rhythm playing with a polished tone.

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Tone & Gear

Guitar

Peter Klett is most associated with Gibson Les Paul models, particularly Standards and Customs from the early to mid 1990s. He has also been spotted with PRS guitars in later years, favoring the Custom 24 for its versatility. His Les Pauls were generally kept stock, relying on the natural warmth and sustain of the mahogany body and set neck construction to deliver that thick, singing tone.

Amp

Klett's primary amp setup during the classic Candlebox era centered on Marshall amplifiers, including JCM800 and JCM900 heads running through 4x12 cabinets. He drove the amps at moderate to high gain settings to get natural tube breakup, producing a warm crunch that cleaned up nicely when he rolled back his guitar's volume knob. Some sessions and later tours also incorporated Mesa/Boogie amps for added tonal variety.

Pickups

The stock Gibson humbuckers in Klett's Les Pauls (490R neck, 498T bridge or similar PAF-style units) provided the midrange-rich, dynamic tone that defines Candlebox's sound. These moderate-output humbuckers respond well to pick attack and volume changes, which is essential for the band's clean-to-heavy dynamic shifts. The bridge humbucker handles the crunch, while the neck pickup delivers warm, vocal lead tones.

Effects & Chain

Klett kept his pedalboard relatively simple. A chorus pedal (likely a Boss CE-series or similar) adds shimmer to clean arpeggiated passages like the intro of "Far Behind." A wah pedal makes occasional appearances for lead accents. Beyond that, his setup leaned heavily on amp-driven overdrive and the guitar's volume knob for dynamics. The philosophy is classic: great tone starts at the fingers, goes through quality pickups, and hits a cranked tube amp.

Recommended Gear

Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Peter Klett's Les Paul Standard delivers the thick, warm mahogany tone that defines Candlebox's signature crunch sound. Its stock humbuckers and set neck construction provide the sustain and midrange richness essential for the band's dynamic clean-to-heavy shifts.

Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Klett favored the Custom for its premium construction and tonal warmth, using it to capture Candlebox's vocal-like lead passages and smooth rhythm crunch. The Custom's refined pickups and resonance enhance both the gentle arpeggios and heavy power chords the band is known for.

Guitar

PRS Custom 24

In later years, Klett turned to the PRS Custom 24 for its versatility and ability to nail Candlebox's range from clean shimmer to driven aggression. Its responsive pickups and flexible electronics allowed him to maintain his signature tone across different studio and live situations.

Amp

Marshall JCM800

The JCM800 was Klett's tone foundation during Candlebox's classic era, delivering natural tube breakup at moderate-to-high gain that cleaned up perfectly with volume knob control. This amp's warm, singing crunch became inseparable from hits like 'Far Behind' and the band's overall heavy grunge-informed sound.

How to Practice Candlebox on GuitarZone

Every Candlebox song page on GuitarZone includes a built-in Practice Toolbar. No app to download, no account needed. Open any song, then use the toolbar to slow the video to 0.5× speed, set an A/B loop around the exact riff you're working on, and jump between song sections instantly.

The toolbar appears automatically on every guitar tab, lesson, and cover page. Pick a song below, hit play, and start practicing at your own pace.

Practice Far Behind - Guitar Lesson