How long have TBird nerds been convening here? I never noticed much of an appetite for a short scale TBird even among the devoted much as there has never been much clamoring for long scale SG shape basses either. To me it's an oxymoron as both the sound and the look of a TBird are determined by that long neck, but of course I will get one!
Visually, I'm not all that excited, it now looks like an overweight Firebird to me whereas TBirds are inherently sleek and elegant basses.
The SG-Bass sells - I think - on a mix of heritage and practicability. It has that sixties/Jack Bruce mojo with it (or for younger generations: that Angus Young look) and it is a light and comfortable bass for a petite player, yet doesn't look like a toy or novelty item but has its own slice of iconicness. I could see that shortscale TBird do well with girl bassplayers that like the look of a regular TBird but find it - literally - too much of a stretch to play one.