saw this photo in newsday
is it an alembic or a rick turner?

 
It doesn't appear to be an Alembic based on the pointy cone headstock, the logo shape, the curve at the end of the fretboard, the pickup body routes, and the shape of the knobs.

There are a couple good shots of that bass here.

It looks to me to be a Turner, as it look similar to this bass.

Here is something more definitive.  It's a Turner Renaissance Electroline solid body ELS-434 PM2.

Flax, Dave,
yep it is a Turner but not the model you are referring to as the shown one in fact has more Alembic sized body with two equal cuts. looks quite interesting.
Oliver (Spyderman)

I saw John at the Mar 5th show in Chicago. Pretty sure it's a Turner. It actually has a reverse offset - in other words the treble side of the cutout is closer to the headstock than the bass side. He switched to what looked like a Tobias for one song, but played the Turner bass most of the night.
 
I thought it was an Alembic at first too. It's not an electroline. Seemed like it might be shorter scale too. Small neck.

That is definitely a Turner Electroline with a lot of custom touches.