technically, it would be closer to a double-course baritone guitar minus 2 strings.
Splitting hairs, I suppose, but it feels more like it should be strummed than plucked, to me.

The scale is shorter than a short-scale bass, and it is built to be tuned differently. Note that the last course of strings are both unwound, unlike a bass.
Although it can be set up similar to a bass, it's more of a hybrid and has a very different tone than a typical 8-string bass, which I have a couple of.

It's new to us, anyway.