I agree with the advice of all the other commentators, but I'll add a recommendation to have a few Irwin Quick Grip clamps on-hand (or similar). They're my go-to for 90% of just holding something in place for a moment (e.g. when drilling a hole with two pieces aligned).

You want a good pair of parallel clamps or pipe clamps too, for when gluing stuff, which can hold something precisely for a long time with a lot of pressure, but most of the time, you want something fast.

I also recommend a few clutch-style bar clamps, since a lot of time, you're reaching over something.

I absolutely love pipe clamps. They still provide a lot of clamping pressure but are significantly cheaper than parallel bar clamps. And if you need a longer clamp all you need to do is go buy a longer piece of pipe

How much adjustability do they have?

If I got pipe clamps would I need to have a whole range of pipes just to handle standard work?

No, the pipe clamps still work for anything shorter than the pipe. One end of the clamp screws on to the pipe and the other side slides so it is very adjustable. But I would still recommend some small clamps like the quick-grip clamps or some F clamps.

Bessey is very good and worth every penny. I also have some Bora clamps that are good. Parallel clamps are generally the best since the clamping force is even.

Parallel clamps are the result of hundreds of years of research into developing a clamp even less intuitive than handscrews. I love 'em, but man are they a hassle when the head doesn't engage the bar.

Pipe clamps are comparatively cheaper with the bonus that if you need longer clamps, you can go to the plumbing supply for a longer bit of pipe. They aren't as nice as parallel clamps for gluing up thin panels though.

For handscrews, I highly recommend Miro Moose. The Besseys are surprisingly subpar. Lie-Nielsen makes them as well for a reasonable price, but they galvanize the screws, and I don't like the action as much.