What's a good, low-cost solution for amplifying microphone and guitar inputs to a computer sound card?

I don't currently own an amplifier. I don't need to perform; I just want to record with my computer music recording software. However, the sound card I am using (Sound Blaster) doesn't amplify the input signals. Is there are good, cheap way to amplify the sound inputs? If it is by using a guitar effects pedal which one sounds good for the price and can it also amplify the sound dry (with no effects)?