Summarize:

If you are unsatisfied with the strength of your guitar’s signal, enhance it with a pre-amp. Pre-amplification is the first stage of amplification. These devices boost your guitar’s signal. You can purchase a pre-amp specifically designed for guitars. However, if you are looking to save money, several guitar accessories come equipped with pre-amps. These include, amp-modelers, pedals, drum machines, and direct boxes. The best pre-amps use tubes. Insert your standard guitar cable into your guitar. Plug the other end of the guitar cable into the input port of your pre-amp. Insert a ⅛” stereo in cable into your pre-amp’s PA Out or Line-Out port. Put the opposite end of this cable into your laptop’s audio-in port. If your laptop does not have an audio-in port, you will need to purchase an interface or a special cable that transforms your audio-out port, also known as a headphone jack, into an audio-in port. These products also work with phones and tablets. There are also adapters that plug into USB ports. If your guitar is connected properly to your laptop, you can hear the instrument through your computer’s speakers, a set of external speakers, or a pair of headphones. If you are not using your’ computer’s speakers, insert the external speaker cable or headphones into your laptop’s audio-out port. Strum your guitar to test the signal.  While the pre-amp will improve the strength of the signal, it may not decrease any delay you are experiencing. Delay, or audio latency, is the gap that exists between when a sound is inputted into the computer and when that sound is actually heard.  In order to hear your guitar, you may need to download and/or open recording software first. If you are experiencing sound problems, open your computer’s sound settings. Check to see if your sound is muted and that the correct port or device is selected (audio-in, audio-out, headphone, microphone, etc.). For specific instructions, consult your computer or device’s manual.
Purchase or find a device with a pre-amp. Connect your guitar and pre-amp to your laptop. Test the signal.