I tried a number of the so called "silent guitars," and found them wanting relative to any acoustic sound. Given the situation described by Seeking I would probably go for the Washburn Rover. The Rover came in both steel and nylon strings and both can be had for about $300. Both Rovers put out pretty good sound for such a small guitar but the big advantage of both is the neck. The steel and nylon string necks are pretty sweet and could help a player determine which was best for the player's inclinations.