Just started on electric guitar

Been playing acoustic for a few months now and i felt it was time to get an electric, it's kinda cheap, washburn lyon if anyone's heard of it anyway...i'm alittle confused has to how to play one. The switches- I've switched between the three settings neck humbuckler, between and body humbuckler(i think thats what it's called) and I honestly can't tell the difference, is there suppose to be a different sound, all i notice is one is louder than the other. Next is strings, they are very small and close together(to me anyways) any tips on avoiding covering strings when playing chords? The way i learned on the acoustic doesn't seem to work on the electric...lastly the amp, wondering what's the gain/distortion do(for riffs and solos?) and should i have it on all the time, and whats the tone do(I think I know but still confused) any help is appriecated.

ok well the switches choose between which pickup youve got selected.

one will be the neck pickup, so called because its close to the neck. and the other will be the bridge pickup (cos its near the bridge ;) ). the neck pickup should be more trebely. the middle position on the switch will be both together.

um as the knobs go. i dont know how many you have but there will normally be at least two, a volume, and a tone controll. the tone controll allows you to cut away some of the treble in the sound. if you have more controlls you will probably have particular tone or volume controlls for each pickup.

these controlls only make a difference when playin through an amp.

gain produces distrortion. it also increases violume although thats not its main function. try put the gain up to full, turn the master volume (it may just be called volume) down a bit. and the notes should sound more 'rockish'.

as to playing electrics i learnt on one, and when i play acoustic i play a steel strummed guitar which has got roughly the same neck proportions as an electric rather than those like a classical guitar. try arching the fingers more.

The switches- I've switched between the three settings neck humbuckler, between and body humbuckler(i think thats what it's called) and I honestly can't tell the difference, is there suppose to be a different sound, all i notice is one is louder than the other.

Basically the one nearest to the fret board will give a more mid to low range sound and the one which is where the strings start will give a more brighter sound with mid to high range sounds being more pronounced. The middle position is using both back and front "humbuckers" give you everything at once..

I have a stratocaster-style guitar, so I have three single-coil pick-ups, and hence five positions to choose from. I usually play more to front if I am finger-picking or playing the same way I play on an acoustic (without distortion). When I have distortion on, I tend towards the back pickups... but whatever sounds right is generally right.

IT sounds like you were playing with clean sound, and thats why you probably couldn't really hear a difference, especially on a cheap amp. Turn on the gain or turn it up (depending on the amp) and you'll notice the difference when you switch between the two.

Hello. The Washburn Lyon is pretty similiar to my Fender Stratocaster except for the last pickup. On my Fender, the pickup configuration is single, single, single. On yours, it's single, single, humbucker (or dual coil..cos its two coils)
The switch on your guitar (called pickup selector) matters a great deal in the tone you are getting out of it. Firstly, there are 5 different positions you can play with.

1st position (also neck position) - engages only 1st pickup
2nd position - engages 1st & 2nd pickup
3rd position (also middle position) - engages only 2nd pickup
4th position - engages 2nd & 3rd pickup
5th position (also last position) - engages only 3rd pickup

Choosing which position to play in and using different pickups with each position can alter your sound completely. For example, rockers generally favours a humbucker in the neck position (1st position) for those mean tones.

For the volume and tone knobs, I have written a post on my blog for you! Go to http://guitareffectssecrets.andy-ng.com/27/guitars-volume-and-tone-knobs/ now. On my blog, you can find answers to your amp question too. Just click around!

about the gain the gain put more ditortion in the sound for a more metal sound